Covid: Pupils told to stay at home amid staff shortages

Staff shortages at a high school in the south of the Isle of Man have led to some students being told to stay at home this week.

Pupils in years nine to 13 at Castle Rushen High School have had some face-to-face lessons cancelled between Wednesday and Friday.

In a letter to parents, head teacher Keith Winstanley said the staff absences were "significant and rising".

The school said the absences were "due to the ongoing Covid situation".

Parents have been warned the disruption was "likely" to continue next week.

As part of the government's coronavirus mitigation measures introduced on Tuesday, pupils and staff are now expected to wear face coverings while at school.

Mr Winstanley said the school was "in the unfortunate position of having to cancel some face-to-face lessons and ask older students to stay home for some of the remainder of the week".

He added: "In making our decisions we have tried to minimise academic disruption."

Mr Winstanley said the school would try to provide remote learning "within the constraints of illness" but where a teacher was too ill to take part in virtual lessons, students would have to "log in to their usual learning".

He said the current levels of "staff illness and isolation" remained a "fluid situation", and it was possible further lessons would need to be cancelled.

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