Budehaven Community School in Bude has officially opened its new doors! It was closed for two days because of an outbreak of winter flu and streptococcus infection. The decision to temporarily close the school was made to safeguard the health of students and staff after consultations with health authorities and local officials.
As Budehaven Community School’s head teacher Dominic Wilkes said, there had been deep and appropriate consideration behind their decision. While he took ownership of the decision, he pointed out that it was made in consultation and partnership with others. Not a single person opposed the idea—they all agreed that closing was the proper direction.
While the school was closed, students’ desks were abandoned, and computers that could have been serving needs were all sitting unused. This pause was meant to slow the transmission of the outbreaks that had been impacting their in-school community. Wilkes encouraged anyone who displayed flu symptoms to self-quarantine for a few days. It’ll go a long way in preventing the spread of the virus to other people.
Ruth Goldstein, deputy director of public health at Cornwall Council, highlighted the highly infectious nature of flu in school settings. She discussed the vulnerability to flu in crowded environments, including schools. If you’re in a tight cohort at school, that risk increases drastically,” she added.
As one of the steps taken to combat the outbreak, Budehaven Community School introduced a number of new precautionary measures. The hard-pressed school community had the backing of a vibrant civil society during this difficult period. Wilkes thanked parents, carers, pupils and staff for their understanding and cooperation. We were just overwhelmed by the support for our decision. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank parents, carers, pupils and the school teaching staff and everyone else who supported us.
As the school resumes normal operations, Wilkes reassured parents and guardians about ongoing monitoring of health conditions within the school. We’re watching these developments minute by minute. The school is a vibrant hub of activity, and if you’re healthy enough to visit us, please stop by!
