NSW Department of Education forces Tamworth West Public School students into online learning

Year 5 and 6 students at Tamworth West Public School have returned to at-home online learning after a student tested positive for COVID following a school excursion.

Bus loads of 93 students and staff left Tamworth on August 8 for the four-day trip to Broken Bay.

The school announced a Year 5 student had tested positive after arriving home.

As directed by the Department of Education, students and staff who attended the excursion have been ordered to work and learn from home for three days.

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A spokesperson for the department said the return to online learning would act as "circuit-breaker" which is part of the COVID-smart winter settings.

"Most of Tamworth West Public School's Year 5 and 6 students are learning from home [on Tuesday] until Thursday due to staff and student absences relating to COVID-19," the spokesperson said.

"As a precaution, mask wearing is required at the school this week, and assemblies will be held outside."

The three-day circuit-breaker started on Tuesday and is expected to end on Thursday.

All other students and staff will continue with onsite face to face learning.

The circuit-breaker comes as two Tamworth high schools were forced to mask up in an effort to control a case outbreak.

Peel High School and Tamworth High School were subject to a five-day mask mandate, which was extended at Peel.

The mask mandates have now been removed at both schools.

No other schools in Tamworth are subject to online learning from the department.

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