A Darlington year group will move to remote learning after two pupils tested positive for coronavirus.
Year 7 pupils at Longfield Academy in Darlington are now self-isolating following the positive cases.
Due to the confirmed cases coinciding with the half-term holiday, it means the Year 7 pupils will be remote learning between November 3 and 5 before returning to school on November 6.
Head teacher Nick Lindsay said: “This course of action is being taken on the advice of Public Health England and parents are being kept fully informed.”
Pupils in years 8-11 will return to school on Tuesday, November 3, as normal.
It comes after members of the National Education Union backed Labour leader Kier Starmer's call for a two-week 'circuit-breaker' full lockdown, designed to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases and ease pressure on the NHS ahead of winter.
They said secondary and post-16 schools should also be included, closing for two weeks in a bid to cut transmission.
On October 17, Daniel Kebede, senior vice president of the NEU, from Newcastle, insisted any attempts to control the virus with a circuit-breaker "must include schools".
He said: "The virus is spreading in schools. To not include schools would be like closing the door but leaving the windows open and expecting the house to stay warm."
Calls for the two-week full lockdown came after it emerged that the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) had recommended a more draconian lockdown in September.
But, while refusing to rule out any school closures, Boris Johnson said a UK-wide lockdown "really doesn't make sense", due to the differing infection rates.
