A CONCERNED parent has been left feeling anxious after claiming that some pupils, members of staff and parents at a Bradford secondary school have tested positive for coronavirus.

The parent, who did not wish to be named, approached the T&A last week to express concern about alleged positive COVID-19 cases and lack of social distancing at Dixons Cottingley Academy.

It comes after Dixons Kings Academy confirmed last week that there was a coronavirus case at the school just days after reopening.

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Dixons Cottingley, which has room for around 712 pupils, reopened to Year 11 students on Thursday, August 27, with Year 7 pupils then returning on Tuesday, September 1, followed by the other years on subsequent days.

In response to the claims, a spokesperson for Dixons Academies Trust, which runs Dixons Cottingley as well as a number of other schools in Bradford, said: "Relationships with parents are very important to us and we fully understand the worry coronavirus is causing our families and the wider community.

“It is, though, very difficult to deal properly with anonymous complaints to the press or external bodies.

“If parents contact us in the normal way, we will explain how we are meeting and indeed exceeding all Department for Education and Public Health Covid controls in our academies.

“While it is true that a very small number of individuals have brought Covid into school from outside and are now self-isolating, there is no evidence so far of any transmission of the infection within any of our academies.

“Those affected are recovering well, and people they have been in close contact with are self-isolating as a precautionary measure in line with guidance."

An email seen by the T&A outlines that a student in a bubble at Dixons Cottingley, and a member of their family, has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

The concerned parent claims there have been even more positive cases over last week, since the school reopened to the first students.

They claimed three staff members have the virus, as well as some other pupils and parents.

They added: “Bubble letters were sent to parents apparently.”

But they feel parents more widely should be alerted to cases in the school.

They said: “I’m very anxious.

“They’re gathering in communal areas, they’re doing line-ups and assemblies, when they shouldn’t be.”