Sheffield Notre Dame High School: Pupils must stay home for third day over teacher shortage

Youngsters from year eight at the 1,400-pupil Notre Dame Catholic High School, near Ranmoor, have been told to work from home tomorrow (Wednesday, February 2) because of the number of staff who are off work, after the school triggered special emergency plans put in place for the coronavirus pandemic. They will return on Thursday

Year seven pupils were at home today, and will return on Wednesday.

Headteacher Deirdre Cleary notified parents of the plans for year eights today.

In a statement on the school’s website, she said: “Due to high numbers of staff absences we unfortunately need to put our contingency plan in place and reduce the number of students in school. This is so we can operate safely and minimise any negative impact on teaching and learning.

"By reducing a year group in school for one day it will allow us to ensure quality teaching for year groups still attending school. Staff have prepared for this and have planned work for any students who have to work from home.”

CORONAVIRUS: Sheffield schools told ‘be cautious’ as Covid Plan B rules end on Thursday, January 27

School hit by staff shortage due to high absences

The school said it had prioritised keeping face-to-face teaching for students in year 11 and year 13, who are closest to their exams. It has also avoided year nine and 10 pupils working from home on days when they would miss their GCSE option.

If necessary, the school will be asking pupils from year 12 to work from home on Thursday, and year nine on Friday.

The plans will see children join their form by video conferencing, but teachers will not be live streaming lessons, because they will be teaching other classes.

Notre Dame, a faith school, takes pupils from all over Sheffield.

Covid case rates are falling in the UK but they remain high, with more than 900 confirmed cases per 100,000 people nationally.

Education bosses told Sheffield’s schools to be cautious over lifting coronavirus safety measures when plan B measures were dropped by the Government at the end of last month.

Restrictions were relaxed last week, but 6,083 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were recorded across Sheffield during the week ending January 18.