Schools forced to close as teachers and children hit by flu outbreak
Flu outbreaks are severely affecting schools across the UK, leading to significant falls in pupil attendance and critical staff shortages, a leading union has warned.
Widespread disease has already forced some institutions to close their doors.
A school in Cornwall was recently closed due to “unprecedented and rising cases” of both flu and strep, following several similar closures in recent weeks.
This comes amid a national surge in flu cases, up 55 percent in just one week. The Health Minister has warned of the “flu wave” currently affecting hospitals.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders union, said: “We have seen flu outbreaks in schools which have had an impact on both pupil attendance and staffing levels.”
He added that closures remain a last resort as schools seek to minimize the spread of infection, although “some isolated cases” have already occurred.
In a letter to parents on Wednesday, Budehaven State School in Cornwall said it would move to remote learning on Thursday and Friday due to “the current unprecedented and increasing cases of Influenza (Flu) and Group A Streptococcus infection among our pupils, Sixth Form pupils and staff”.
Schools said they hoped the closures would reduce the spread of the disease and confirmed on Friday they planned to reopen normally on Monday.
Meanwhile, the county council website says Radwinter Church of England Primary School in Essex is closed on Friday and Monday due to an outbreak of norovirus.
Last week it was reported that St Martin’s School in Caerphilly was closed after more than 250 students and staff fell ill.
Congleton High School in Cheshire reportedly closed temporarily in November for a deep clean following several cases of the disease.
NHS figures released on Thursday show the number of flu patients in hospital in England remains at a record high for this time of year, rising by 55 per cent in a week.
Meanwhile, according to the latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency, 107 new cases of acute respiratory illness were reported in education settings in the last week of November; This is a big increase from the previous week.
Earlier this week, Simon Kidwell, headteacher of Hartford Manor Primary and Nursery School in Cheshire, told BBC Breakfast that tackling flu was a “real challenge”.
“Winter bugs spread really easily in schools,” he said on Monday’s show.
“We know we can do something to make schools safer.
“But we’ve seen schools close to us in Cheshire closed for three days, so it’s been a really challenging time this year.”
