Covid-19 statement

Year 11 students have been sent home from school and told to self-isolate for 14 days as a precaution after one tested positive for Covid-19.

Live lessons are now being streamed online via Microsoft Teams for students in the year group so they can continue their curriculum from home, following their scheduled daily timetable.

As school reopening was staggered for individual year groups to reduce contact between students, Highfields remains open to all other students and staff.

Headteacher, Mr Graham Tate, said: “We were made aware that a Year 11 student had tested positive for Covid-19 and made the decision to quarantine all students in the year group for 14 days following advice from Public Health England.

“This is incredibly disappointing considering how long students have been out of school and how pleased they have been to get back to school. But safety must always be our top priority.

“If any of the students or staff develop Covid-19 symptoms they need to contact the NHS Track and Trace system and follow their advice. It is also vital that parents and carers do not send their child to school if they or anyone in the household is showing any symptoms of Covid-19.

“Please be assured that the safety of our students is our utmost priority and we will continue to keep parents and carers updated.”

Highfields held staggered re-openings for individual year groups last week before all students and staff returned on Monday September 7. A host of additional safety measures have been put in place that are designed to minimise contact between students, reduce numbers on site at any one time, reduce the amount of movement around the site and restrict students to as small a group as possible.

Arrival, leaving, lunch and break times have been staggered, whilst a one-way staircase system is now in place. A wide range of practical measures have also been implemented, including the requirement for each student to carry their own personal bottle of hand sanitiser. Soap in toilets is being checked and replenished throughout each day, whilst hand sanitiser stations are in place at the entrance to the school and a strict daily cleaning routine introduced.

A spokesman for the City of Wolverhampton Council said: “Public Health England is supporting schools locally and across the country with the response to single confirmed cases of coronavirus in school attendees.

“Where cases are identified, Public Health England, the City of Wolverhampton Council and the school in question will work closely with staff and pupils to implement the appropriate steps to manage any potential exposure. 

“We are aware of a few individual cases among the school population, and are happy that appropriate steps are being taken to allow schools to manage these situations safely. 

“There are no current outbreaks in schools, where we have evidence of 2 or more linked cases, and although individual cases may arise in school settings from time to time, these cases may well be a result of transmission in the community rather than in school.”