A FURIOUS headteacher has threatened to withdraw pupils from her school after children told teachers they had been visiting others outside of their households.
Martine Buckley, executive headteacher at Yew Tree Community School in Oldham, sent a letter to parents telling them to follow lockdown rules.
Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
She said staff are “putting their own safety at risk” by teaching the pupils during the pandemic.
But she was horrified to learn that some pupils have been visiting their friends and family which is “against the law”.
Ms Buckley said that anyone breaking rules would have their child’s place withdrawn from the school.
Her letter has been published on the school’s Facebook page and reads: “Dear Parents. I am very upset to be writing this letter but I feel I must.
Are you a parent at the school? Email [email protected] or call 02077824351
“Our lovely children are open and honest and they tell us about their lives and activities.
“Currently a number of them are telling us that they are visiting friends, neighbours and family which is against the law.
“Our teachers and support staff are putting their own safety at risk to look after your children and they should be confident that you are doing your bit to follow the lockdown rules.
“I am afraid that I will have to withdraw the offer of a place in school to children whose parents are putting us in danger.
“To everyone who is doing the right thing I want to say a huge thank you. I know that this is most of you.
“I know that home learning is nigh on impossible for too many of you and we all sympathise and feel for you.
“We will get over this much quicker if we all follow the rules.”
Schools in England are currently closed except for vulnerable kids or children of key workers.
SCHOOLS SHUT
Yesterday, experts said primary school kids could be “resistant” to coronavirus and can head back to school.
Boris Johnson said he hopes to be able to relax some lockdown restrictions in three weeks as ministers mull over reopening schools.
Studies by Public Health England has piled on fresh pressure to the PM to reopen schools for younger pupils, after finding there was a “strong case” to get kids behind desks again.
Students in primary schools are “resistant” to soaring coronavirus case numbers and play a small role in spreading new infections, experts concluded.
Only 3 per cent of primary schools had outbreaks of coronavirus, even while the number of new infections jumped across the UK as the second wave took hold of the nation.
PHE’s chief schools investigator Shamez Ladhani said: “Everything we have learnt from the summer half-term and the recent autumn term indicates that they are safe to remain open.”
But, PHE found that secondary schools were five times as likely to have outbreaks and could have to wait longer to reopen.
