Pupils at a school in the centre of Norwich have been told to self-isolate after a confirmed case of coronavirus.

Norwich Evening News: The Charles Darwin Primary School principal Jo Brown. Picture: Antony KellyThe Charles Darwin Primary School principal Jo Brown. Picture: Antony Kelly (Image: Archant Norfolk 2016)

Children at Charles Darwin Primary who had been in close contact with the person who tested positive are now learning from home after being told to self-isolate for 14-days.

The primary school and nursery, based on Prince Of Wales Road, has 244 pupils and is run by the Inspiration Trust.

Parents have been informed of the confirmed case, though most pupils are unaffected and the school remains open.

MORE: School closes early for half term due to staff absences and coronavirus restrictionsJo Brown, principal of Charles Darwin Primary, said: “A member of our school community has tested positive for Covid-19.

“A group of children will be continuing their education at home using our remote learning resources. Our teaching teams will continue to support our students remotely. We’ve made our families aware and would like to thank them for their support.

“We’ve acted quickly and followed Public Health England guidance to protect our children, staff, families and wider community.”

It is the second city centre school run by the Inspiration Trust to have to send pupils home. A group of students at Jane Austen College on Colegate have been told to self-isolate for 14-days following a confirmed Covid case.

It comes as the latest attendance figures from the Department for Education (DfE) show 46pc of secondary and 16pc of primary schools in England sent home one pupil or more last week because of Covid-19 outbreaks.

Julie McCulloch of the ASCL head teachers’ union said the latest figures showed the “high level of disruption” from Covid outbreaks.

“The fact that nearly half of secondary schools have recorded one or more pupils self-isolating due to the protocols necessitated by the Covid pandemic, illustrates the continuing high level of disruption they are dealing with,” she said.

“School and college leaders and staff across all phases have done a remarkable job in managing these incredibly difficult circumstances and getting through to half term.

MORE: Students self-isolating after three coronavirus cases at coastal school“They haven’t received enough support from the government over this time in relation to the availability of Covid tests, access to timely public health advice, and the impact of the costs they are incurring in implementing Covid safety measures without reimbursement from the government.

“A recent problem has been the patchy support that they are receiving from a Department for Education helpline which was set up to provide advice in the event of positive Covid cases.”