Mum’s unhappiness as only certain pupils sent home after Covid case in school.

A Rainham mother of a year 11 pupil is unhappy about how her daughter’s school is dealing with the news of a positive Covid case in the school.

Tracie from Rainham Village is unhappy that only certain year 11 pupils are being sent home and not the whole year group at Brittons Academy in Hornchurch.

Tracie told the Havering Daily: “There was a positive Covid case in year 9 two weeks ago and only certain year 9 pupils were sent home. Now there has been a case in year 11 and only certain pupils have been sent home and not the whole year group.

“There is no way that the school can say that my daughter has not had any contact with these pupils. How can they say every child is safe?

“When my daughter arrived she saw other year 11 pupils leaving the school and going home following the positive case. Why are they only sending selected pupils home and not the whole year group? The whole year group should be sent home.

“I have kept my daughter at home now. I had been sending her in by taxi to avoid her using the buses and mixing with other pupils.

“I know it is hard for the school and they are doing everything they can but this is not an effective approach. I want my child to be in school especially as she is in year 11 but not at the expense of her health.”

The Rainham mum is also unhappy about the way the pupils are boarding the buses together and mixing in many different year groups.

“Once the children board those buses they are all mixing together. The buses should be limited and set out in specific year groups. Everything the school does is being undone when they board those buses.”

Will Thompson the Principal at Brittons Academy told the Havering Daily: “We are guided by Public Health England. Everything we do is under their advice. They advise us who should go home and who shouldn’t. We have a hot line here that we call and they come back and tell us what our next steps are.

“The last thing we want to do is put anyone at risk. We are contacting parents by letter, email and phone call when a case is identified.

“I understand the parent’s concern about the buses. We go to out to the buses every night and make sure every student wear’s their mask on the bus. “