A HEADTEACHER is among the staff and an rising number of pupils at a Herefordshire high school to test positive for coronavirus.

Wigmore High School, north of Leominster, warned parents about rising cases at the school as it enforced tougher rules to combat the spread earlier this week.

Senior deputy headteacher Sarah Steer wrote the letter to parents on Monday as she unveiled contingency measures which included compulsory face coverings in communal areas, and for year sevens in lessons.

She said pupils should also go to school dressed in indoor PE kit on the days they have PE to avoid using the changing rooms.

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Clubs, fixtures and trips were suspended for the duration of the additional measures, and students would be separated into year groups at break-times and lunchtimes.

Now, headteacher Dr Rob Patterson said he did not write the letter as he had caught Covid-19 last week, despite being fully vaccinated.

He said in a letter on Wednesday that he was self-isolating at home, and was "on the mend".

"I’m one of a small number of staff and an increasing number of students who have tested positive for coronavirus in recent days as cases increase both at Wigmore and other schools across Herefordshire and indeed the country," he said.

"This was always likely to be the case as the government relaxed restrictions for schools and for wider society last summer and our role now is to manage this situation as best we can, whilst maintaining the highest quality education possible in the interim."

The school, with around 450 students, previously said that the Department for Education has set a threshold of when schools should take extra measures.

That is defined as "10 per cent of children, pupils, students or staff who are likely to have mixed closely test positive for Covid-19 within a 10-day period", senior deputy headteacher Sarah Steer said.

Dr Patterson said that the school passed that threshold for year eight on Wednesday, so students would now need to wear masks in lessons.

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Saying he would update parents on the number of Covid cases next week, he said he wanted to wish a speedy recovery to everyone affected by Covid-19.

John Kyrle High School in Ross-on-Wye became the latest school to confirm Covid cases on Tuesday, with around 50 schools in Herefordshire reporting Covid-related student absences last Wednesday, according to Herefordshire Council.

Almeley Primary School and Kingstone High School are both closed due to the number of Covid cases found, and Hereford Academy, The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School, Marlbrook Primary School, Sutton Primary Academy, Weobley High School and Holmer CE Academy are among the schools to confirm cases.