Meon Valley School Forced To Drop Live Home Lessons Plan

A Meon Valley school has been forced to reverse a plan to allow pupils to take virtual lessons from home for the last week of terms.

Swanmore College had given parents the option of their children studying at home next week to lower the risk of catching Coronavirus ahead of Christmas.

Pupils involved would have joined in lessons from home on a live feed streamed from their classrooms and classes would have been mandatory.

But the school has now said the plans has been cancelled.

Headteacher Kyle Jonathan said: “I have been instructed by the Department of Education (DfE) and the Local Authority, that we are unable to offer you the choice to keep your child at home next week.

“This means that we will expect all pupils to attend Swanmore College for the last week of term, as long as they are well and not self-isolating.”

Mr Jonathan said that because of the change, term would now end next Thursday.

He added: “We will continue to implement our extensive range of control measures to reduce the risk to pupils and staff on site.

“It it is imperative that your child comes to school only if they are free of all COVID-19 symptoms.”

The school has previously had to send several year groups home to isolate due to positive cases of Coronavirus.

One parent said: “This was a sensible and innovative idea by the head and it’s kind of typical that it’s been blocked by bureaucrats.

“I guess you can’t expect much else from a Department of Education run by a dunderhead like Gavin Williamson.”