TEN schools in Basingstoke and Deane have reported coronavirus cases in the past ten days - as national absences sore.

St Mary's CE Junior School in Old Basing is the latests to experience an outbreak, with a source telling the Gazette that their niece, who attends the school, has been sent home to isolate.

However, when contacted by the Gazette, a school spokesperson said they are "not commenting on it at this time".

A spokesperson from Hampshire County Council said: “We can confirm that there has been a single positive case of COVID-19 at St Mary's CE Junior School in Old Basing. As a result, a year group bubble is now self-isolating and being supported with remote learning.

"Public Health England has confirmed that the school is not required to take any further action at this point and the school remains open.”

In addition, nine further schools in the borough have reported at least one case to the county council in the past ten days.

They are: Oakridge junior; Burghclere primary; St Anne's primary; St Bede's primary; Everest secondary; Testbourne secondary; Hurst secondary; Vyne secondary; and Saxon Wood.

In all of these cases, the schools have remained open.

However, it means that, in some cases, one or more bubbles will be self-isolating. In others, there is no requirement for a bubble to isolate.

Pupils who are self-isolating will continue their education at home by remote learning.

Across the country, pupil absence in schools due to Covid has hit a new record high since classes went back in March, figures show.

Data from the Department for Education, covering England, shows that around one in 20 (5.1 per cent) state school pupils did not attend class for Covid-19-related reasons on June 24, up from 3.3 per cent on June 17 and 1.2 per cent on June 10.

Around 279,000 children were self-isolating due to a possible contact with a Covid-19 case, a further 24,000 pupils had a suspected case of coronavirus and 15,000 had a confirmed case.