MORE than 80 students and some staff from a Dorset school are isolating after a handful of Covid cases.

Eighty-two students and four staff members from Ferndown Upper School are isolating after six positive Covid cases were confirmed on Thursday last week.

The isolating students have returned to remote learning while the school remains open for all other pupils.

In a post on the school's website, headteacher Philip Jones wrote: "On Monday (June 21) we were notified of a positive Covid case, which has now expanded to six positives and one possible. This has resulted in eighty-two students and four staff having to isolate.

"May I stress that none of these positive cases were in-school transmission but instead were as a result of a social event outside of school hours. The school remains open for all other students."

Ferndown Upper School joins a growing list of schools that have had Covid cases resulting in isolation for pupils and staff. Last week, 100 students from Queen Elizabeth's School in Wimborne were forced to isolate after five Covid cases.

In the last week, Wimborne middle schools St Michael's, Allenbourn and Emmanuel have all confirmed Covid cases, as well as St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School in Weymouth, Sturminster Newton High School, Hampreston CE First School in Wimborne and Yewstock School in Sturminster Newton.

Sam Crowe, director of public health for Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole councils said: "We are aware that a number of schools in Dorset have received confirmed cases of Covid-19. These schools are working closely with Public Health Dorset, Dorset Council and Public Health England South West to ensure that all necessary measures are being met.

"All close contacts of the confirmed cases have been notified and need to self-isolate for 10 days. Contacts of the confirmed cases should get a PCR test. Even if people test negative, they must still self-isolate for 10 days."