Schools across Northumberland will continue to operate as normal, a leading councillor has vowed.

However, plans are in place to facilitate home learning should the spread of Coronavirus worsen.

Northumberland County Council’s deputy leader Wayne Daley, the authority’s cabinet member for children’s services, said: “There is no Government directive yet to close our schools. This may happen in the next week or so, but as it stands, they remain open.

“If schools are ordered to close, we are developing plans for how we offer online learning portals.

“We are also looking at how we can offer food/meals to the most disadvantaged pupils, who may be impacted over the loss of the school meals service.

“And we await information from the Department for Education on exams and how these will be managed.”

Meanwhile, a Haydon Bridge High School pupil is self-isolating as a precaution after recently visiting an area overseas affected by the Covid-19 virus.

The school’s headteacher Darren Glover has reassured parents that the school continued to follow the Government’s advice and has installed additional hand wash facilities as a safeguarding measure.

Alice Witherow, the chief executive of the Tyne Community Learning Trust, said: “At TCLT, I cannot praise highly enough the staff in all our schools who continue to work with children, provide a safe and secure provision despite facing staffing shortages, and worrying like everyone about their own personal circumstances.  
“I have just concluded a meeting with headteachers across the MAT who came together to consider ways forward.  
“We are preparing online resources, considering our vulnerable learners and working out how we can continue to stay open as increasing numbers of staff have to self isolate. 
“We continue to follow the national guidance, including sending staff in vulnerable groups home, sending home children and staff presenting with symptoms and restricting all unnecessary visitors into our schools.  
“We had already increased cleaning regimes across all schools and hand washing regimes.
“We are not more aware of when schools will close if indeed they will as part of the national strategy.”