More than 30 students at Bradon Forest School are self-isolating after a Year 7 pupil tested positive for coronavirus.

Julie Dickson, headteacher at the Purton secondary school, said she had taken the precautionary step to send 31 students home in order to prevent the spread of the virus within the year group.

It is the second time this month that pupils at Bradon Forest have been ordered home. In early November, the school announced that Year 11 pupils had contracted the virus and, as a result, 30 others were told to self-isolate.

In a statement released after the latest case, school head Mrs Dickson said: “The safety of our school community is very important, and we will continue to work with Wiltshire Council’s public health team to ensure we keep students and staff as safe as we can.

“The parents of the affected students were incredibly supportive and were quickly able to arrange to collect their children from school. I am extremely grateful for the ongoing support of parents.  

“We look forward to welcoming these students back into school on November 26.”

Pupils ordered to self-isolate for 14 days  would continue their studies at home, the school said.

Wiltshire Council director of public health Kate Blackburn said: “It is a legal requirement that anyone asked to self-isolate should follow the government information on this and stay at home. If they don’t have symptoms, they do not need to get a test. However, if a member of their household has symptoms and takes a test then they should self-isolate.”