QUEEN ANNE High School has admitted that it was "tested" last week after a pupil had a positive result for coronavirus.

Students in class 2B2 were to isolate until at least last Friday following the case but NHS Fife have reassured families that there was "no evidence" of any onward transmission within the school and the risk to pupils and staff remained low.

Rector Ruth McFarlane said that last week was a "very constructive and positive experience for the school" in what was a "very challenging situation".

Queen Anne received a phone call on Monday, August 11, from a parent to say their child had tested positive for coronavirus.

The school informed Fife Education and Children’s Services Directorate immediately and waited for confirmation from the Fife Health and Protect Team (HPT) that this information was correct.

HTP informed the school that contact tracers were already engaged with the pupil's family and actioned an Incident Management Team (IMT) that met that same day, with representatives from NHS, Environmental Health, Fife Education Services and Queen Anne staff.

As with any positive case, there is a 48-hour infectious period prior to the initial onset of symptoms, which in this case was Friday, so the school were able to lift seating plans and class registers for that day to send to the IMT.

Teachers were able to say what activities pupils had engaged with and whether they had been able to maintain two-metres distancing or wear a face mask if needed.

Contact tracers were also able to work out that the pupil who tested positive had spent their break and lunch outside and that they had not been in school for 90 hours as of 9am on Tuesday, September 2.

Ms McFarlane said: "This week tested our ability to respond effectively to a very challenging situation.

"It was a very constructive and positive experience for the school.

"We fully understand and appreciate the anxiety felt by many families in the current circumstances but have been reassured by the Health and Protect Team that there is no evidence of onward transmission within the school and that all measures taken in response have been precautionary.

"This was a test of our risk measures and health and safety protocols. We feel reassured and confident in our arrangements following this process."

The rector added that she hoped outlining the details of the process they went through for the first time would be "helpful and reassuring" to the school community.

Queen Anne's policy of arranging the school day into structural double blocks helped since the pupil had two double blocks and two single lessons, meaning the interactions of this class with staff and others around the building was reduced.

Pupils are also outside at interval and lunch and in this case, this was a significant benefit in reducing any potential transmission.

Class 2B2 was the same throughout all lessons on Friday so there was no mixing of pupils beyond this group in a classroom environment.

Class registers in a digital format enabled staff to provide quickly the IMT and contact tracers with accurate lists of which pupils were in school and in the class and also where they were sat.

They say teachers have been enforcing consistent seating rigorously in line with these plans and will ensure that this continues.