About a dozen sixth form students at Kirkby Stephen Grammar School are self-isolating and studying from home following the enactment of coronavirus test and trace protocols.
Headteacher Gary Hartley said the situation had arisen last week following a football match which a number of boys had been involved with.
After an older member of the team informed them he had been for a COVID-19 test and had tested positive, they told the school they had potentially been close-contacts.
Mr Hartley said none had any symptoms, but as a precautionary measure, the seven or eight students involved were told to self-isolate for 10 days.
He said because none of them had any symptoms, it was not requested that they should get tested — but a couple of them did get get tested and one 17-year-old Year 12 pupil had tested positive, despite not have any symptoms.
After he told the school that he had tested positive, it meant that a further four students were then asked to self-isolate, however Mr Hartley said none of those potential close-contacts had got in touch with the school to say they had tested positive.
“We have been following the guidelines, with the aim being to prevent further spread through the sixth form and that has worked,” said Mr Hartley.
He added that those students who were now at home had been joining in lessons which have continued to take place in school through live-streaming on meetings platform Microsoft Teams.
In total, there are about 55 to 60 students in the sixth form at Kirkby Stephen Grammar School and Mr Hartley said the total school attendance was 96 per cent — above the Cumbria average of 92.5 per cent.
He added that he had heard that there was a rumour circulating that the sixth form was closed, but that was incorrect.
“We have not shut the sixth form.
“We are following the advice from Public Health England that says try contact tracing first and just isolate them, rather than send the whole year group home,” said Mr Hartley.
