A "SMALL number of staff and students" at a Somerset school have tested positive for Covid-19.

It is believed three people at Hans Price Academy in Weston-super-Mare have been confirmed to have contracted the virus.

It takes to 17 the total number of people there who have tested positive for the coronavirus since September.

In a letter to parents, principal Tony Searle said: "We write to inform you that, in line with other schools, there are a small number of staff and students who have tested positive for Covid-19 at the academy.

"We appreciate that this may be concerning and whilst it remains a small number, we want to assure you we are doing everything we can to keep numbers as low as possible."

Students and staff are being encouraged to follow Government measures to keep the virus at bay and an enhanced cleaning regime is undertaken throughout the day.

Mr Searle added: "In order to ensure we are doing all that we can, we arranged a meeting on Thursday afternoon last week with the health and safety manger of the CLF along with a North Somerset Public Health consultant and other representatives from the Local Health Protection Team.

"We reviewed the cases and talked through the systems of control we have in place within the academy.

"No additional measures were suggested to our current rigorous processes.

"The team were happy with our swift and thorough systems of contact tracing.

"We will continue to follow this procedure as we strive to continue to provide our young people a good education, in a safe and well managed environment.

"We will always contact individual families where there is a possibility of close contact and provide information around any self-isolation period."