Music teacher tests positive for coronavirus


A leading London drama school has shut because a teacher tested positive for the killer coronavirus that is rapidly sweeping the world.

The prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama, located in the heart of London, will be closed for up to 14 days as a precaution. 

The unidentified man, thought to be a music teacher, came into contact with a ‘limited number’ of students last week, the school admitted.

At least four teachers are now thought to have been infected in the UK, with staff members in Berkshire, Gloucestershire and Wimbledon already struck down.

Thousands of pupils stayed at home yesterday after scores of schools shut because of links to confirmed patients or to carry out a deep clean.  

It comes amid fears teenagers may be forced to sit their exams during the summer, if more schools are shut because of coronavirus.

Thirty-nine coronavirus cases have already been confirmed in the UK. Almost 91,000 patients have been infected worldwide.

The prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama, located in the heart of London, will be closed for up to 14 days as a precaution

Wimbledon College, in south-west London, shut its doors yesterday because of the coronavirus

Wimbledon College, in south-west London, shut its doors yesterday because of the coronavirus

Guildhall School of Music and Drama didn’t release any more information about the male teacher – but he is thought to teach music.

He was whisked off for treatment at London’s Royal Free Hospital, a specialist NHS centre for infectious diseases. 

In an email sent to staff and students, the school – ranked as one of the world’s best performing arts institutes – said he is ‘recovering well’. 

According to The Guardian, the note added: ‘He was present and teaching in one of the ancillary school buildings on one day last week. 

‘He came into contact with a limited number of students and we are working closely with those students to ensure that they receive urgent appropriate advice.’

The school urged any staff and students who show any coronavirus symptoms, such as a fever or cough, to ring NHS111 and seek medical advice.

Almost 91,000 cases of coronavirus have been recorded across the world. At least 3,100 people are known to have died

Almost 91,000 cases of coronavirus have been recorded across the world. At least 3,100 people are known to have died

Wimbledon College has been shut after one of its staff members caught the coronavirus on a trip to Italy

Wimbledon College has been shut after one of its staff members caught the coronavirus on a trip to Italy

SCHOOLS COULD CLOSE ‘FOR MONTHS’ TO CONTAIN THE CORONAVIRUS 

Emergency plans are being drawn up by health officials to contain the coronavirus as the first Briton died today and could see schools closed for at least two months and major sporting events, gigs and music festivals cancelled.

The most extreme measure could be to mirror the decision to shut Japan’s entire school system, which will close from Monday for a month until April. 

A UK shutdown would see millions of parents, including key workers such as surgeons, nurses and paramedics, forced to stay at home to care for their children.

Prof Whitty admitted it is ‘just a matter of time’ until coronavirus spreads more widely and quicker through the UK – and the fightback could include ‘reducing mass gatherings and school closures’, with Premier League and FA Cup matches either under threat or played behind closed doors.

Chief medical officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, said the decisions would not be taken lightly because ‘anything we do we’re going to have to do for quite a long time – probably more than two months.’  

It added: ‘All meetings, performances, workshops, masterclasses and any other on-site school engagements in the next 14 days should be cancelled. 

‘Staff are encouraged to work remotely during this period and if they are in any doubt of how to do so should contact their line manager.’ 

It comes after Willow Bank Junior School and Willow Bank Infant School in Woodley, Berkshire, both closed yesterday because of coronavirus.

A female staff member at the infant school tested positive after catching the illness while on holiday in northern Italy.

In an email, the schools told parents they would be shut for ‘some days’ to allow for a deep clean to be carried out on the premises. 

St Mary’s Primary School in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, also closed after a member of staff there was confirmed to have the virus after a trip to Italy.

Wimbledon College, in south-west London, shut its doors yesterday because of the coronavirus.  

In a letter to parents the headmaster wrote that a member of staff caught the virus while on a trip to northern Italy.

Several staff members were asked to self-isolate after coming into contact with the teacher, forcing the school to shut because of ‘low staffing numbers’.  

The Ridgeway School in Farnham, Surrey, which teaches children with severe learning difficulties, has closed for deep cleaning.

Three cases have been diagnosed in Surrey already and a Ridgeway member of staff had been in contact with a confirmed patient.

St Mary's Church of England Primary School in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, where a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. It is closed for deep cleaning until Wednesday

St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, where a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday. It is closed for deep cleaning until Wednesday

Churston Ferrers Grammar School in Torbay confirmed a student tested positive for COVID-19, while the second case in Devon is a member of the same family. No other details are known

Churston Ferrers Grammar School in Torbay confirmed a student tested positive for COVID-19, while the second case in Devon is a member of the same family. No other details are known

Childcare nightmares for parents 

School closures have left parents at the mercy of employers who do not have to pay them for days spent at home looking after their children.

Amid fears that coronavirus could cause a childcare crisis, official advice published yesterday stressed that there is ‘no statutory right to pay’ in such a scenario. 

The guidance – from Acas, the Government’s Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service – states that ‘some employers might offer pay depending on the contract or workplace policy’, adding: ‘The amount of time off an employee takes to look after someone must be reasonable for the situation… they might take two days off to start with, and if more time is needed they can book holiday.’

Government advice on taking time off work for family emergencies states: ‘Your employer may pay you for time off to look after dependants, but they don’t have to. 

‘Check your contract, company handbook or intranet site to see if there are rules about this.’ 

In a letter to parents the headteacher said it was shut because of the compromised immune system ‘many of’ the school’s children have.

Churston Ferrers Grammar School in Torbay yesterday confirmed a student tested positive for COVID-19. No other details are known.

Hundreds of teachers across the country were sent on ski trips to northern Italy, the centre of Europe’s coronavirus crisis, over half-term.

But thousands of travellers came home from northern Italy before the Government introduced updated guidance, raising fears it would spread to the UK.

The Government told holidaymakers and business travellers returning from Italy to self-isolate if they have tell-tale symptoms.   

And anyone who went to 11 towns locked down to contain the outbreak were told to quarantine themselves, even if they had no symptoms.

But hundreds of teachers who went to affected regions went into school before the guidance was updated, raising fears for thousands of pupils and staff.  

Teachers are also known to be at risk because they come into contact with children, who are known to be more susceptible to getting sick.

Scientists say because youngsters mingle with lots of strangers they are exposed to bacteria and viruses they’ve never seen before. 

Churston Ferrers Grammar School in Devon has closed after a pupil and one of their relatives were diagnosed with the virus

Churston Ferrers Grammar School in Devon has closed after a pupil and one of their relatives were diagnosed with the virus

Education sources warned last night that students could be forced to sit their exams in the summer holidays, if the crisis in the UK worsens.

But their grades could be inflated to compensate for missed lesson time, according to one teacher trying to answer parents’ creeping concerns. 

STUDENTS COULD BE FORCED TO SIT THEIR EXAMS IN THE SUMMER IF OUTBREAK WORSENS 

Education sources warned last night that students could be forced to sit their exams in the summer holidays, if the crisis in the UK worsens.

But their grades could be inflated to compensate for missed lesson time, according to one teacher trying to answer parents’ creeping concerns. 

Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty forecast a worst-case scenario in which schools would be closed for ‘probably more than two months’.  

As the summer exam season looms, parents are worried about the knock-on effect of future closures.  

Exam regulator Ofqual has told institutions to draw up contingency plans to prepare for such closures, but have not yet advised on specific measures. 

Calvin Robinson, who teaches at Watford Grammar, believes exams could be pushed back to cope with school closures.

And he added teachers and pupils would likely have to come in during the summer holidays to sit papers and invigilate.

In the event of schools shutting, he told MailOnline: ‘I think we will have to postpone exams. 

‘We can’t purely base it on previous coursework, because students weren’t warned in advance. 

Many parents fear closures would jeopardise their child’s grades in comparison to institutions which remained open.

Mr Robinson predicted that, if there were a slump in grades owing to missed lessons in affected schools, these could be inflated.

The exam regulator also called for affected students to be given special dispensation in this summer’s exams 

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Layla Moran MP echoed the view and said exam boards should take into account illnesses. 

She told MailOnline: ‘Exam season is an extremely stressful time for pupils and it is crucial that schools take a compassionate approach. 

Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty forecast a worst-case scenario in which schools would be closed for ‘probably more than two months’.  

As the summer exam season looms, parents are worried about the knock-on effect of future closures.  

Exam regulator Ofqual has told institutions to draw up contingency plans to prepare for such closures, but have not yet advised on specific measures. 

Calvin Robinson, who teaches at Watford Grammar, believes exams could be pushed back to cope with school closures.

And he added teachers and pupils would likely have to come in during the summer holidays to sit papers and invigilate.

In the event of schools shutting, he told MailOnline: ‘I think we will have to postpone exams. 

‘We can’t purely base it on previous coursework, because students weren’t warned in advance. 

Many parents fear closures would jeopardise their child’s grades in comparison to institutions which remained open.

Mr Robinson predicted that, if there were a slump in grades owing to missed lessons in affected schools, these could be inflated.

The exam regulator also called for affected students to be given special dispensation in this summer’s exams 

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Layla Moran MP echoed the view and said exam boards should take into account illnesses. 

She told MailOnline: ‘Exam season is an extremely stressful time for pupils and it is crucial that schools take a compassionate approach. 

‘This is particularly the case for pupils who miss lessons due to illness. Exam boards must have plans for how they can take into account individual circumstances.’  

Mr Robinson pointed out that most GCSE and A-Level syllabuses would have already been covered, and doubted that the range of exam questions would be reduced.  

Online learning tools have been mooted as potential options in the event of school closures.

An article in the Times Educational Supplement said Google Classroom could be used to set work for pupils to do at home.

But Mr Robinson, a computer science teacher, poured cold water on these proposals and said most schools ‘lacked the infrastructure’ to execute this.

YouTube has been mooted as a teaching tool, with teachers sending links to relevant videos or even creating their own, then setting questions about the material. 

Both GCSE and A-Levels results day fall in the middle of August, which would also likely be pushed back if exams were postponed.

This would pose problems for universities, who typically confirm offers on results day about a month before term begins.

It is unclear what would happen for school leavers in this situation, but Mr Robinson said ‘universities would have to be flexible’.    

Last week more than 30 schools closed or sent home pupils who had returned from ski trips in northern Italy. Many of those are reopening.     

Professor Chris Whitty, has not ruled out closing schools in the event of a major outbreak but said it would not be taken lightly.