Another East Lancashire school closes after staff member tests positive for COVID-19

In an email sent out to all parents, headteacher Mr Michael Wright, said: "School will be closed for all staff and pupils on Tuesday 19th May following the positive testing of a member of staff who was in school on Friday. A deep clean of the affected areas will be completed prior to re-opening. To reassure families of key workers and vulnerable pupils who are currently allowed to attend, none of the staff or pupils who were in school on Friday will be allowed back on the premises until they have received a negative COVID-19 test or the 14-day quarantine period is complete. We have placed staff onto a rota system that allows us to quarantine those who were in school on Friday and still operate from Wednesday onwards. We await further guidance on the partial re-opening of school for some face-to-face sessions with Year 10 pupils."

The temporary closure of St Augustine's comes days after Shuttleworth College in Padiham and Fisher More RC High School in Colne were forced to close for deep cleans after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

Under Prime Minister Boris Johnson's new road-map out of lockdown, primary school pupils in Reception, Year One, and Year Six are set to return to the classrooms from June 1st.