An emergency meeting is taking place right now after a Hitchin secondary school has been forced to close because a teacher tested positive to for Covid.

Senior staff are in a summit to discuss what they plan to do next following the news.

Hitchin Boys' School on Grammar School Walk revealed the news in a letter to parents seen by Nub News.

In their communication, they confirmed a member of teaching staff tested positive for coronavirus over the weekend with a number of teaching colleagues being forced to self-isolate as per government guidance.

The letter, written by headteacher Fergal Moane, said: "Unfortunately, I have to include some concerning news in that we have been notified that a member of staff has tested positive for coronavirus.

"We were made aware yesterday afternoon and have worked with Public Health England and Hertfordshire County Council over the weekend to respond to this.

"The medical doctor that we are working with at Public Health England has advised us that only those that have been 'close contacts' of the member of staff in question need to self-isolate for 14 days.

"We have been identifying those who are close contacts since being notified, and more staff are impacted than students.

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"We have asked all teachers to 'teach from the front' and maintain two metres distance from students to protect themselves and their class, so risk to students has been minimised."

The school said that on the few occasions where closer contact with the staff member has happened, and in those few cases, parents will have been contacted directly to ask their son to self-isolate for 14 days.

A parent of a pupil at the school, speaking to Hitchin Nub News under condition of anonymity said: "It is worrying, but the school have been clear and open in their communication with parents.

"I have spoken with the school and they have reassured me as a parent that they everything is in hand - although I would really like to know what is going to happen next. How long will the school remain closed for?

"As a parent I would like to know as soon as possible."

The school added: "Unfortunately, the number of staff members who have been in close contact with the confirmed case is large enough that we will not have sufficient members of teaching staff on site to safely teach all students on Monday, September 14."

Read Nub News for more on latest developments following this morning's meeting.