A South East Cornwall primary school has been forced to close its Year Five/Year Six bubble and also send Year One pupils home after being notified of a confirmed case of COVID-19 with the school’s Year Six class.

Dobwalls Community Primary School Headteacher Mrs Kathryn Pipe says in a letter to parents that after receiving Public Health England (PHE) advice, she has sent staff and children home and will not reopen the Year Five/Year Six bubble until Tuesday, July 6.

The case of COVID has also had an impact on the school’s Year One pupils. As Mrs Pipe says in her letter: “As you can imagine, we have also had to consider any possible contacts that may have occurred between teachers, siblings and children with other class bubbles. The only class bubble where there may have been such contact is Year One. It is for this reason that I have unfortunately had to take the decision to send your child’s class home as a temporary measure until we can invite them back in.

“Please can you arrange to keep them at home until further notice. Year One is closed until Thursday and we will let you know on Wednesday if we are able to re-open on Thursday 1st July or if it will remain closed until Tuesday 6th July.

“Throughout this term we have taken every precaution to ensure the safety of your child. This has included asking staff with any possible symptoms to be absent from school until they are tested. Cover teachers and all local schools are operating similar procedures. When we receive the confirmation of tests it may be possible to open Year One earlier than Tuesday 6th July.

“We will be arranging work for them to complete work at home. Please see the home learning area of the website in due course.

“There is no need for your child or your family to self-isolate. In line with current guidelines we do ask however, that whilst at home, your child continues to minimise contact with other households where possible and remain alert to any possible symptoms.”