Parklands High School in Chorley shuts again as 23 teachers self-isolate due to Covid

Pupils had only returned to the school in Southport Road on Monday, June 21 following a week's closure due to an "unsustainable" number of Covid cases.

But yesterday (Wednesday, June 30), headteacher Steve Mitchell said the school has closed for another 7 days as it continues to struggle with the virus in its classrooms.

Parklands said more than 600 pupils had been self-isolating as a result of the latest outbreak, with more children isolating at home than in school.

This week, it says 23 teachers and three teaching assistants are self-isolating after either testing positive or being in close contact with a confirmed case.

In the past 10 days, the school said it has recorded a total of 55 confirmed cases among its staff and students.

Mr Mitchell said he expects "the situation will only worsen" in the days to come as the school awaits results from hundreds of PCR tests.

The headteacher revealed that attendance had plummeted due to pupils self-isolating, with just 230 children attending school this week out of a total of 886.

A spokesman for Parklands said: "We have taken the very difficult decision to close school with immediate effect and reopen on Monday, July 12.

"We know this is not ideal, but after consulting with the Local Authority and Public Health we must take this step to stop the spread of the virus.

"Mr Mitchell has sent an email to all parents and carers this afternoon."

The school was also forced to close between June 15 and June 21 and underwent a deep clean after a "significant number" of pupils tested positive.

Support us and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day.

With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.