Pupils at a Glastonbury school have been told to stay at home for the rest of the week, due to rising numbers of Covid cases.

St Dunstan's School in Glastonbury is the latest to be affected by the surge in positive cases in Mendip. Year 10 pupils at St Dunstan's School will be learning at home for the rest of the week thanks to rising numbers of Covid-19 cases in the school.

In a letter to parents, headteacher Lynda Bevan, said: "As you will be aware, Covid cases are on the rise in the area and, unfortunately, it has hit our staff hard. We have struggled to stay open this week with three teachers and a member of the pastoral team having tested positive at the weekend – all of them are very unwell.

"We have now had another member of the teaching staff test positive and two more members of the teaching staff feeling very unwell so, clearly the number of teachers off school is likely to increase before the end of the week. Supply agencies are unable to provide supply teachers as many schools are in the same situation.

"Therefore, with regret, I have had to take the decision to close a year group so that we can keep staff to student ratios at a safe level. I am mindful of the impact of this but also of the implications for child care and so I have decided that Year 10 will need to stay at home on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th March and lessons will be set online. These lessons will not be live as the teachers in school will be needed to cover lessons for those children who are in school.

"I am hopeful that things will be on a more even keel next week – if not, I will have to look at rotating year groups being in school."

The number cases in Mendip has more than doubled in the past week, according to official figures, with 1,236 people testing positive in the past seven days, up from 644 in the previous seven days.