A HEAD teacher has defended her pupils after complaints about them not sticking to Covid-19 guidelines on their lunch break in a popular part of York.

A man, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted The Press to claim that pupils from All Saints RC School in South Bank gathered outside shops in Bishopthorpe Road in “groups of more than six, ignored social-distancing and didn’t wear face masks or incorrectly wore their face masks”.

He added that his wife had called him “in tears” after “being stuck in the middle of two large groups who refused to social distance”.

But Sharon Keelan-Beardsley, head at All Saints, said: “We have been in touch with the gentleman in question and he said that ‘young people are spreading this [Covid-19] disease’, so he felt that our pupils were spreading the disease.

“Our children are so excited about being back at school after being in lockdown for so long, and the joy and happiness over being out and about and getting back to some sort of normality has been great,” she added.

“Ninety-five per cent of our pupils have been tested [for Covid-19] and we haven’t had one positive result back in 3,000 tests. We are as safe as we can be. The children are wearing masks in the shops, in the classrooms and in the school corridors and I think just having that bit of fresh air is important for them.”

Mrs Keelan-Beardsley said pupils were being allowed off school grounds during lunch because not all parents were able to provide packed lunches, and the school’s catering facilities were not fully up-and-running.

“We sent a letter out to our local residents explaining the position and we do have members of staff monitoring them during their lunch break. The local community appreciates the business the youngsters generate, and we try at all times to work with the community. I do have sympathy for the man and his wife as groups of children can be intimidating when you don’t know them and when you’re not used to them.

“But they have been cooped up for a long time and we are monitoring them with three members of staff each day.”