SCHOOLCHILDREN and staff from a Forest school who went skiing in Italy three days before the Coronavirus-hit country went into lockdown are travelling home tonight by bus.

The news confirmed by Five Acres High School in Berry Hill comes amid reports that headteacher Ian Frost has quit, with the letter about the party’s return home and their need to ‘self-isolate’ signed by Simon Phelps as ‘acting head’.

The academy that runs Five Acres, the Greenshaw Learning Trust, has declined to comment about or confirm the headteacher situation, despite a request to do so.

In the letter to parents signed by Mr Phelps, he wrote: “We would like to thank those parents who have been in contact showing care and concern for the students who are currently enjoying their skiing visit to Claviere. 

“We would also like to thank you for your patience and understanding in allowing us to continue to run our school with the safety of the whole school community at the forefront.

“We have attempted to respond to as many requests for information as possible and we recognise that many of you still have questions about the safe return of these students and staff. 

“I can inform you that they will be leaving the resort on Wednesday, March 11, and we expect them to be back in the UK and home early on Thursday, March 12.  

“As you would expect, in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the whole school community, we have been following the guidance and advice of the relevant Government agencies and will continue to do so on the return of staff and students.

“This is currently that travellers from Category 1 areas (including Italy) “should self-isolate, even if asymptomatic, and use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next.”

“We would like to stress that the advice currently available relates to those staff and students returning from the visit only.

“Once again your support is appreciated.”

A post on the school’s Facebook page on Tuesday night (March 10) added: “As Day 5 progressed… the situation within Italy in relation to the coronavirus has developed significantly and the trip has had to be cut short; students and staff will begin their return journey by coach first thing tomorrow morning. Full details have been communicated to parents/guardians.”

The Five Acres students left last Friday (March 6) to travel to Claviere in Piedmont on the border with France, 150 miles from Milan in Lombardy, the region at the centre of the biggest outbreak of the virus in Europe.

Lombardy was placed in lockdown on Sunday (March 8) before Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte extended the emergency measures to the whole of the country, including Claviere, on Monday evening.

That means tourists can no longer travel to Italy, although visitors already there are still free to come home, with most Italian airports still operating.

The Forest students are part of a larger party who have gone on the trip under the umbrella of the Greenshaw Learning Trust which administers 13 academies.

Five Acres High posted videos and photos of the children enjoying themselves on the ski trip before today’s announcement that the trip was being cut short.

Greenshaw Learning Trust confirmed that the party would “be coming home this week”, but did not add to a previous statement saying they had adhered to the guidelines from the government and Pubic Health England to allow the skiing trip to go ahead.

Greenshaw chief executive Will Smith, speaking on Monday afternoon before the whole of Italy was locked down, said: “The safety and well-being of our staff and students is our highest priority.

“We receive, and act, on guidance from Public Health England, the Department for Education and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for all of our school trips.

“In line with this advice, students from the Trust’s schools have recently been on a ski trip to Claviere in Northern Italy. If any students or parents have concerns they should contact the school directly.”

As an Academy, Five Acres High School falls outside the remit of Gloucestershire County Council.

The Department for Education, which has been involved in the setting-up of academies across the country, referred enquiries back to the Greenshaw Learning Trust, although she did send their Coronavirus precautions advice via email.

The advice given by the Foreign Office for anyone travelling home from Italy is that anyone returning from the country should self-isolate and use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next.

Health Minister Matt Hancock told the Commons on Monday before Italy was put into lockdown that the Government were advising against all but essential travel to Northern Italy, and he did not ‘regard skiing as essential’.