Children sent home from Cleveleys primary school one day after returning from holiday after pupil tests positive for Covid-19

The children, who are understood to have shared a desk with the infected pupil yesterday, were sent home this morning under instructions to undergo a PCR test for the virus as soon as possible.

Head teacher Lynsey Ankers said: "We have managed to get through the Covid pandemic with such little disruption aside from the Government-enforced school closures. We are following current guildines and if a child is in contact with a case, they are being advised to do a PCR test.

"We are very carefully monitoring close, prolonged contact. If they are working next to each other for a period of time, we want to make sure they are safe.

"I'm not going to disrupt the education of our community by being overly cautious. We are committed to a measured approach."

According to new Government guidelines for schools, individuals who have been in close contact with people testing positive for Covid-19 should be asked to undergo a PCR test.

Staff who do not need to isolate, and under-18s who usually attend school and have been identified as a close contact, should continue to attend school as normal. They do not need to wear a face covering within the school, but should do so when travelling on public or dedicated transport.

One disgruntled parent said: "There are people who have lost work and lost money today because they haven't been able to arrange childcare. If there was Government legislation ordering us to self isolate, I would have no problem with it, but this seems to be a policy the school have taken upon themselves.

"Ultimately I think somebody should ask them if they know what the rules are and whether they should change their policy."

Ms Ankers said: "We have worked so hard with parents to get to the position we are at. We want to have a consistent education for our children. Our children have missed enough and the last thing we want to be doing is sending children home. But we need to break transmission at the earliest possible opportunity."