A Carlisle school has sent pupils home after a coronavirus outbreak.

Richard Rose Central Academy has ordered students to work from home with immediate effect and will remain closed to pupils for at least the rest of this week.

A statement from the school's headteacher Ceri Bacon said: "As you will be aware, cases of the virus are high in Carlisle and with a national lockdown underway this increasingly affects what we are able to do within school. We currently have a large proportion of teaching staff who, whilst not unwell themselves, are required to self-isolate because of NHS Test and Trace measures.

"You will know that we have already had to make some temporary adjustments to the days when year groups are in school to ensure that we have adequate staffing. Unfortunately, it is clear that this will need to continue in the short term as we approach Christmas."

The statement asks students to return to home learning from today until Friday, saying they will "still have access to a full timetable of lessons, their home learning interactive timetable, which can be found on the school website."

Details of the home learning programme can be found on the school website under 'Home Learning'. Students will follow their normal school timetable and complete work through Microsoft Teams, the school says.

Miss Bacon adds: "Key stages four and five need to check their timetables carefully on Teams, as they will have some live lessons with staff.

"It is important that students are on time for these lessons. We are very grateful to parents and families for your support with these temporary measures. They will enable us to continue providing continuity of learning for students amidst the ongoing external challenges of the national lockdown.

"Thank you for your continued understanding and assistance. With your support, we will do everything in our power to maintain momentum from now until the end of term."

Meanwhile, Caldew School, on Carlisle Road in Dalston, has revealed a positive coronavirus test in it's "school community".

The letter, issued by headteacher Vicki Jackson to students and staff, said of the case: "They are currently isolating along with other members of their household. The case affected the Year 10 bubble and when we were informed of this positive case we began our own internal investigation to identify close contacts.

"We have stringent protective measures in place, so there are only a small number of close contacts and this means we do not need to send whole classes or full year groups home to isolate.

"Those people identified as close contacts are now isolating for 14 days. Your child should continue to come to school as normal. We have very strict protective measures in place."

Parents are asked to remind children of social distancing and handwashing.