SEVERAL schools in St Helens have taken action this week after members of staff or pupils have tested positive for coronavirus.

The Star has been made aware of four different schools having been affected by cases this week. This includes two high schools; Rainford and Rainhill High; and two primary schools, Bleak Hill and St Julie's in Eccleston.

On Wednesday, September 16 it was reported that a reception class from Bleak Hill Primary School in Windle had been sent home after a teaching assistant tested positive for coronavirus.

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The council has confirmed that 30 children from Bleak Hill Primary were instructed to isolate.

A council spokesman also confirmed that a second teaching assistant from the school is also isolating after testing positive last week. The teaching assistant had not been in contact with children or staff.

St Helens Star:

Meanwhile, Rainford High confirmed on Monday this week that it has had two members of staff and three pupils test positive.

In a statement issued on the school website to parents on Monday, principal Ian Young said:

"Thank you for your patience and support. We are pleased with the student response to wearing masks in corridors and indoor communal areas. We are looking to reinforce this expectation over the next few days, so please support us in explaining to your children that this is for everyone’s safety and wellbeing.

"I can inform you that we have a second member of staff who has tested positive, along with three cases in our student community; two in the Sixth Form and one in Key Stage 4. Having spoken with Public Health England this weekend, at this point they feel a proportionate approach of identifying suspected close contacts, rather than asking whole year bubbles to self isolate for 14 days, is the most appropriate course of action.

"We are in regular contact with Public Health and all decisions are made with the best interests of our community in mind, based on the information we have.

"Can I ask that parents continue to act in a supportive manner around school drop offs, letting children walk a little further to school to reduce congestion and traffic nearer to the school site.

"We will keep you updated when we have concrete information that we are able to share safely and responsibly. It would be greatly appreciated if you can let us know if your child is showing symptoms or has received a positive test result, so that we can manage the situation and inform our community of the Covid 19 situation within the school."

St Helens Star:

Rainford principal Ian Young

Meanwhile, Rainhill High School has confirmed that two students and a member of staff are self-isolating after testing positive. The school says it is confident the three cases are unrelated and that the likely source of infection in each case was not the school.

A Rainhill High School spokesperson said: "We can confirm that two students and a member of staff are currently self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus.

"Based on the information we have, we are confident that the cases are unrelated and that the likely source of the infection in each case was not the school; nevertheless the school has acted swiftly, decisively and proportionately in following its risk assessment and Government guidelines to ensure that ‘contacts’ were identified and asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

"The cases have not affected the rest of the school, which remains open as usual to students.

"We are pleased to report that we have had no further positive cases reported in subsequent days.

"The school remains committed to ensuring the safety of its students and staff and believes that, thanks the comprehensive measurers in place, it is achieving that aim."

St Helens Star:

Rainhill High

Also, it has been confirmed to the Star that there has been a case at St Julie's Primary School in Eccleston. St Helens Council has yet to confirm the number of cases or any more details in relation to this.

Last week, a pupil at St James’ Church of England Primary School in Haydock had tested positive for coronavirus which led to a bubble of 25 children in Year 3, and staff, being sent home to isolate.

And 56 children from Wargrave Church of England Primary School in Newton-le-Willows were sent home as two Year 2 classes were told to isolate after a member of staff tested positive for COVID-19.