How secondary schools across Harborough are getting ready for the term ahead after pupils told to stay at home

Thousands of secondary school students across Harborough are set to be forced to stay at home for the next fortnight at least as the Covid-19 crisis deepens across the country.

Only the children of key workers such as frontline NHS staff and vulnerable youngsters are due to return to secondary schools tomorrow (Tuesday) following the Christmas and New Year break.

Their classmates will be taught at home remotely, as during the first national lockdown last spring, until they filter back into school in a phased return throughout this month.

But that could all change quickly as the situation remains highly fluid.

The UK yesterday (Sunday) recorded 54,990 coronavirus cases in 24 hours - the sixth day on the spin that daily infections topped 50,000 nationally.

And Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hinted today that all secondary school students could have to work and learn from home for the whole of January.

Dan Cleary, the head of Market Harborough’s Robert Smyth Academy, said they were staging a previously-scheduled training day today with all of their 100-strong workforce attending.

“We will take back the children of critical workers and vulnerable children tomorrow (Tuesday).

“That will be about 130 kids.

“All being well we will welcome back Year 11 and Year 13 pupils – they are aged 16 and 18 and are GCSE and A-level students - on Monday January 11.

“And everyone else is due to come back in on Monday January 18,” said Dan.

“We cannot wait to get all our 1,000 or so students back here in school again, exactly where they should be.

“We have just had the most amazing term.

“Our attendance rate was way up at about 95-96 per cent – 10 per cent above the national average.

“We’ve got about 100 staff and they’ve been incredible along with our parents – the entire community has got behind us.

“We have had some very tough times over the last few months and many more challenges lie ahead.

“But the fact that we’ve come through and we are still very much standing gives me great confidence and belief that we will come through this unprecedented pandemic.”

Only the children of key workers as well as vulnerable pupils are also set to go back into the classroom at The Kibworth School in Kibworth Beauchamp and Lutterworth High School tomorrow.

Children are believed to be returning to most primary schools in Harborough as usual this week.

Loatlands Primary School in Desborough has today shut to all but the children of key workers and youngsters with special needs.

Wilbarston C of E Primary and Rothwell’s Infant and Junior Schools are only open to some year groups.