An entire bus-load of pupils who travelled to The Sittingbourne School from Sheppey told to self isolate

By: Steve Waite swaite@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 21:20, 04 October 2020

Updated: 21:23, 04 October 2020

All pupils who travelled to school on the same bus have been told they must self isolate after a pupil tested positive for coronavirus.

The Sittingbourne School alerted parents to the Covid-19 case by email yesterday.

Yvette Peden, head teacher of The Sittingbourne School, formerly Sittingbourne Community College

A child in Year 7 at the school in Swanstree Avenue, Sittingbourne, has been confirmed as having the virus and children in the same class have been informed they must stay at home.

But the order to stay away has been extended to include all those who were on a bus that brought pupils over to the mainland from Sheppey on Tuesday last week.

In the email, head teacher Yvette Peden wrote: "We have written to parents of those children in the affected class, and these children have been instructed to self-isolate from this point onwards.

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"Some other affected children travelled to school on Tuesday, September 29 from the Isle of Sheppey on the 371R Travelmaster bus.

"If your child travelled on this bus on this morning, they should not attend school and must immediately start a period of self-isolation."

The child had been on a Travelmasters bus from Sheppey to Sittingbourne

Parents of the children who caught the bus have been urged to contact the school after 8.30am tomorrow to find out more. It has not been revealed how many pupils have been told to remain at home.

Ms Peden added: "We are continuing to monitor the situation and are working closely with Public Health England.

"This letter is to inform you of the current situation and provide advice. Please be reassured that for most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild illness."

Sittingbourne is among the worst areas in Kent for the number of children and teaching staff affected by the virus.

The Sittingbourne School, formerly known as Sittingbourne Community College, is the sixth school in the town to be hit by the virus.

Inside a Travelmasters bus

It comes in the same week as the first cases of Covid-19 were confirmed at schools on Sheppey, with Rose Street Primary School, Sheerness, announcing on Thursday, October 1 that 133 pupils and eight members of staff had been forced to isolate after two employees tested positive.

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And on Friday, October 2, pupils at the Island's Oasis Academy were told to isolate after a confirmed case of Covid-19.

The positive test at The Sittingbourne School is the third of the town's secondary schools to report positive tests, following confirmed cases at Highsted Grammar School and Borden Grammar School.

And at least four primary schools have had to send pupils and staff home, including South Avenue, Bapchild and Tonge, Hartlip, Westlands and St Peter's.