A headteacher has raised concerns about pupils socialising outside of school and not following guidelines.

Thanking the children and their families, the school said it was proud that it had managed to stay safe during the pandemic, but Brenda Fyrth has been made aware of some worrying reports.

She said: “Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been our goal to keep Thomlinson Junior School open so that children can attend school and parents are able to continue working. To date, unlike many schools in our local area, we haven`t had to close any part of our school.

“Unfortunately, there is some evidence to suggest that not all families are following the lockdown guidelines. We have had reports of a local barber visiting homes, children meeting in the homes of other families and we have seen children out and about in the town, mixing with children from other schools, when they should be indoors in their own home.

“The safeguarding of both our children and our staff is paramount at all times. I would ask those who are not following the lockdown advice to spare a thought for all our members of staff . Every day staff attend our school to do the very best for your children at a significant risk to their own health. Several staff are putting aside their own health issues in order to be in school for your children, while others have had to isolate from other family members in order to protect themselves. Unlike the care home sector, school staff are not currently being offered regular testing.

“Thank you for your ongoing support.”