Witney school closes because of Covid staff shortages
An Oxfordshire secondary school has closed until 2 November because of an outbreak of coronavirus cases.
Wood Green School in Witney sent all pupils home due to "very high levels of staff absence". Head teacher Rob Shadbolt said the school did not have enough teachers to "deliver education in school safely". Other schools have been affected, with Banbury-based primary schools Hardwick, St Mary's CoE and nearby Wroxton CoE closed until after half-term. In a letter to parents, Mr Shadbolt said: "This is not something that I have done lightly, but I believe that it is the right thing to do for everyone's safety." He said teachers would set work for students to do at home, but said if there were childcare issues due to the late announcement on Monday, pupils could be supervised in year-group bubbles.