About 170 pupils forced to stay at home after two students test positive for Covid-19 at Harborough school

Two students have tested positive for Covid-19 at a Market Harborough secondary school – forcing about 170 pupils to stay at home.

It emerged over the weekend that a Year 8 child, aged 12 or 13, and a Year 9 student, aged 13 or 14, at Welland Park Academy have tested positive for coronavirus.

So about a third of Year 8 and a half of Year 9 who had been in close contact with the two youngsters have been told to self-isolate for two weeks.

Julie McBrearty, the principal at the 960-student Welland Park Road school, said the two pupils affected by the highly-infectious virus are doing well.

She said they are now carrying out a ‘contacts investigation’ to see if any other children are able to return to school before Monday November 23.

A year nine student at Welland Park Academy tested positive for Covid-19 at the end of September - forcing the whole of the year group to self-isolate.

They were hit just days after a teacher at the school tested positive for Covid-19.