Melton students deal with new Covid measures after festive holidays

Face coverings are being worn in classrooms again at Long Field Spencer Academy and John Ferneley College, in line with government directives.

Staff are also testing students for coronavirus in a bid to limit further spread of the virus, with the new Omicron variant accelerating the local infection rate.

After pupils returned to Long Field on Tuesday, principal Chris Haggett told the Melton Times: “We managed to get all of our tests completed by 9.45am.

“We had just under 50 testing stations which staff ran during period one.

“Students did their tests and then waited in the fresh air outside for their results.”

Mr Haggett said students were responding to the new measures, adding: “We are wearing masks again in classrooms, which we are quite used to and are hoping we can take them off again on January 26, when the rules will hopefully be relaxed a little bit.”

Meanwhile, Melton’s MP, Alicia Kearns, said this week that she believes schools should not be closed again as part of coronavirus measures.

Writing in The Telegraph, she said: “The vaccine programme is doing its job, so let us unite around a national mission and mandate that schools won’t close.”