Eight schools and colleges in Suffolk have had to contend with cases of coronavirus since returning to the classroom in September.

In a bid to protect both staff and students, a number of secondary and primary schools across the county have been forced to send people home to self-isolate after positive Covid-19 tests.

MORE: Parents worried their children’s school ‘bubbles’ are too big, survey reveals

Public Health Suffolk has been working closely with all the schools to ensure the correct procedures are carried out and children can return to learning when it is safe to do so.

Here is a full list of the schools and colleges in Suffolk where there have been positive cases:

• One Sixth Form College, Ipswich

The Ipswich college confirmed two cases of Covid-19 in its students last week.

On Wednesday, September 30 the college confirmed that a small number of students and staff were self-isolating in line with the guidance received from Public Health England.

MORE: One Sixth Form confirms two cases of coronavirus

• Felixstowe School

Felixstowe School, formerly known as Felixstowe Academy, confirmed one of its students had tested positive for the virus.

The student had not been in school since September 18, so Public Health England advised them that no further steps were needed. The student has since recovered and returned to school.

• Thomas Gainsborough School

A class of 32 pupils were told to self-isolate after a pupil tested positive for coronavirus.

The school confirmed on September 23 that a student had tested positive for the virus and all pupils in the class were asked to stay at home for 14 days.

• Northgate High School

A total of 137 pupils at Northgate High School were told to self-isolate after a pupil tested positive for Covid-19.

On Friday, September 18 the school confirmed it had asked a form class of 29 pupils to self-isolate.

Headteacher Rowena Mackie said the situation was “upsetting and frustrating” for everyone at the school.

On Tuesday, September 22, the school confirmed a further 108 Year 8 pupils and two members of staff were self-isolating after another pupil showed symptoms of the disease.

• Farlingaye High School

A number of students at Farlingaye High School were asked to self-isolate after a pupil tested positive for coronavirus.

The Woodbridge school confirmed on Monday, September 21 that a “relatively small number of children” who were in direct, prolonged contact with the pupil were asked to stay at home for 14 days.

• Abbots Green Academy in Bury St Edmunds

The school requested that 58 pupils self-isolate at home after a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19.

All staff and children in the affected Year 2 ‘bubble’ were asked to stay at home after the positive test on September 14.

Two teachers, two learning assistants and 58 people from the Airfield Road school were included in the order to isolate.

• King Edward VI School

A further 50 students were sent home to self-isolate from King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds after a teacher and another member of staff tested positive for coronavirus.

All of the students had been in close contact with the two members of staff and were asked to stay away from the school on the advice of Public Health Suffolk.

MORE: Four people at King Edward VI School in Bury St Edmunds tested positive for Covid-19

• Samuel Ward Academy in Haverhill

At the start of September, the first school to be hit by coronavirus in Suffolk was Samuel Ward Academy.

Nine members of staff, all of whom were learning support staff, tested positive for the virus.

More than 130 pupils and several members of staff were told to self-isolate as a precaution.

MORE: A coronavirus outbreak at Samuel Ward Academy led to more than 120 pupils self-isolating

When should you arrange for your child to have a test?

The NHS is advising parents to keep children off school and arrange for them to have a test if they have any of the main symptoms:

• A high temperature. This means the child feels hot to touch on their chest or back. NHS advice is that you do not need to measure your child’s temperature.

• A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours. If they usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual.

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• A loss or change to their sense of smell or taste. This means your child has noticed they cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.

If your child has any of these symptoms, you should arrange for them to have a test as soon as possible, and keep them and their siblings off school until you get a test result.

Official advice says that children can still go in to school if they do not have any of the main coronavirus symptoms listed above.

MORE: People needing coronavirus tests urged not to call their GP, 111, or their hospitals’ A&E