Somersfield Academy senior department students today moved to remote learning due to the Island-wide surge in Covid-19 cases.

Somersfield principal Carlos Symonds said in a message to parents and students over the weekend that the increase in cases and quarantine orders had reduced the number of teachers available for in-school teaching.

Mr Symonds added: “This sudden impact on our staffing has been further exacerbated by our effort to protect our teachers with vulnerabilities and pre-existing health conditions who require special consideration.

“Further to these staffing concerns, we are also cognizant of the increasing number of families who are anxious for their children’s safety, and have chosen to keep them at home for this final week, in an effort to reduce the risk of exposure and avoid a potential 14-day quarantine/isolation during the holiday season, if there is an incident within the school.”

As a result, the secondary school – consisting of 11- to 18-year-olds – will carry out remote learning until the end of term on Friday. Primary students were to continue in-school instruction in “reduced bubbles” but parents who wished to keep their children at home were free to do so.