Covid-19 in Basingstoke: 30 schools record positive cases

Hampshire County Council publish a full list of schools in the area which have reported positive coronavirus cases in the last 10-day period, 30 of the 51 Basingstoke schools currently appear on the list.

Current rules state that children have to self-isolate for 10 days if another pupil in their bubble – which can be an entire year group at secondary school – tests positive for coronavirus.

All of the 30 schools remain open and the Hampshire County Council website states that in some cases, one or more bubbles will be required to self-isolate whilst in other situations there is no requirement for a bubble to isolate.

Here is the full list of schools that have reported at least one positive case of coronavirus:

• Four Lanes Infant: July 1
• Hatch Warren Infant: July 1
• Kempshott Infant: July 7
• Kings Furlong Infant: July 2
• Marnel Infant: July 1
• Merton Infant : July 6
• South View Infant: July 1
• Four Lanes Junior: July 7
• Hatch Warren Junior: July 5
• Kempshott Junior: July 7
• Merton Junior: July 3
• South View Junior: July 1
• St Mary's Junior: July 5
• Burghclere Primary: June 29
• Chiltern Primary: July 3
• Great Binfields Primary: July 5
• North Waltham Primary: July 8
• Overton Primary: July 5
• St Bede's Primary: June 29
• St Mark's Primary: July 8
• St Mary Bourne Primary: July 1
• Tadley Primary: July 8
• Whitchurch Primary: July 6
• Aldworth Secondary: July 1
• Brighton Hill Secondary: July 10
• Everest Secondary: June 28
• Testbourne Secondary: July 8
• Costello Secondary: July 6
• Hurst Secondary: June 28
• Vyne Secondary: June 28

If a school has further cases during the 10-day isolation period, their name remains on the list until the 10-day period from the most recently reported case, has completed.

The use of “bubbles” in schools and colleges in England will come to an end as the country moves towards the easing of lockdown restrictions, the Education Secretary has confirmed.

Gavin Williamson told MPs that from August 16 children will only need to self-isolate if they have tested positive for Covid-19.

From July 19, schools will no longer be expected to undertake contact tracing and NHS Test and Trace will instead identify close contacts of positive cases.

His comments came after Covid-related pupil absence in schools in England hit a new record high since classes fully returned in March.

But the Education Secretary said it would be up to individual schools as to whether they scrap the bubble system before the summer holidays, following the expected move to Step 4 after July 19.

Updated Department for Education (DfE) guidance says keeping children in consistent bubbles will not be needed for summer provision, or in the autumn.

In addition to ending bubbles, Mr Williamson said it will “not be necessary to stagger start and finish times” at schools.

Education union leaders have criticised the Government’s move to scrap school bubbles on July 19 alongside all legal coronavirus restrictions.

The latest figures show that around 34,000 pupils were absent because they suspected they had Covid-19 on July 1, up from 24,000 on June 24, and 28,000 were off after testing positive for Covid-19, up from 15,000.

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: “Headteachers will welcome not being responsible for testing of pupils but will share the concerns of the NEU about how effective a public test, track and trace system will be and how much it will control cases in schools. Schools have so far been the most effective part of the test, track and trace system.

“It seems clear that the Government policies are based on a new form of herd immunity strategy – they are hoping that the increase in vaccination rates and the increase in infection rates across the summer will eventually get cases to fall simply because there is no-one left to infect.”

He added: “We can all hope for the best, but we must now plan for something that is less than the best.”