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A comprehensive school has been forced to turn to remote learning following a ‘significant outbreak of flu-like illness’.

St Martin’s school in Caerphilly closed between Friday December 5 and Tuesday December 9, with 242 pupils and 12 members of staff off ill with symptoms such as “vomiting, diarrhoea, high temperature, cough, headache, fatigue, and general flu-like effects”.

However, on Wednesday December 10, in another email to parents, Mr Jarvis confirmed the school is now having to stop face-to-face teaching for non-examination classes due to a shortage of staff.

“Today we have 13 staff absent from school and needless to say we will not be able to sustain full opening with such low staffing levels as we will not be able to operate safely and deliver a full curriculum,” he said.

“From [December 11] therefore we are going to have to close down face-to-face teaching for non examination classes as a first step to trying to remain open fully to face-to-face teaching on the run up to Christmas.

“Years 7,8, and 9 will move to online learning for the rest of this week with the hope that this will enable us to sustain face-to-face teaching for years 10,11,12 and 13 and be able to return fully to normal operations.

“I would like to thank all of you for the help and support that you have given us so far and I am so sorry that we are having to move to this option at this time.”