A Basingstoke school has sent a class home to self-isolate after a second pupil at the school tested positive for coronavirus.

Marnel Community Infants School recorded its first positive case earlier this month.

Now a second unrelated case h as been reported in one of their reception classes.

The school said the entire class has now been instructed to self-isolate for 14 days as well as students who attended the reception breakfast club session.

In a letter to parents, headteacher Susan Cox wrote: “I am writing to update you on the first positive case of Covid-19. These children and staff who belonged to the class are returning to the school tomorrow [Thursday, November 26] following their 14 day self-isolation and I am pleased to say that we have had no transmission and all have remained well.”

“Unfortunately, we have received notification of another positive case this morning, this time in another class. This case is totally unrelated to the previous case. All of the class have been informed as well as the children who attend breakfast club. These children and staff will now begin their 14-day self-isolation.”

The head continue: “Part of what we have to do when we receive the notification from the parent that a child has tested positive is make contact with our local authority representative to make them aware.

“On both occasions, they have been impressed that our bubble system has meant that we have kept the number of children and adults having to self-isolate to a minimum as I am sure you will have seen in the press that some schools have had to close altogether for two weeks.

“May I take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support with the measures we are taking to prevent the transmission for the virus within our school.

“I urge everyone to follow the lockdown rules around interaction with others at this time as it is important that we do all we can as a community to protect each other.”