Staff worked through the night to make sure Year 11 students got the traditional end of year send-off when a Shirebrook school closed its doors to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

Students, many in tears, signed each others’ shirts, left messages in commemorative books and attended a hastily-organised leavers’ assembly, which was held at Shirebrook Academy on Friday.

The school has followed the Government’s emergency advice by closing its doors to all of its students, except those who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), a social worker or whose parents have been designated as key workers.

It meant that, with their GCSEs scrapped because of the coronavirus outbreak, the majority of Year 11 students have now left school and will not be coming back.

Usually, Year 11 students gather for their school assembly at the end of the exam season in mid-June, but staff did everything they could to make sure that nobody missed out on the school’s traditional goodbye.

Shirebrook Academy principal Mark Cottingham said: “Everybody, especially our head of Key Stage 4, Mr Tyrrell, worked incredibly hard with just 24 hours’ notice to make sure that the students were given the same leaving experience that every other Y11 has had, despite the unusual circumstances.

“It was really emotional, especially because they hadn’t had the same build up and because many students and staff weren’t able to attend due to self-isolation.

“Last week was the most difficult week that I have ever experienced in teaching, but despite staff putting in long days and hard work responding to the government’s daily announcements, the students deserved to be given a proper send-off and I’m really pleased they got one.”

Shirebrook Academy is offering child-care facilities from today (Monday) for students who meet the published criteria and cannot be looked after at home, although those who can stay at home are being urged to do so to avoid contamination.

Whether in school or at home, all students will be able to access online lessons or printed materials if they do not have internet access.

Mr Cottingham added: “Things have changed so many times over the past few days and although we have prepared as best we can, we still don’t know exactly what this week will hold.

“All I can say is that I am extremely proud of the response of everyone to this emergency, especially our Year 11s, many of whom were very upset and concerned that they are not going to be sitting exams and will feel that they will not be getting proper exam results.

“My message to them was that learning is never wasted and that the experience, skills and knowledge they have developed at school will be the foundation for the next stage in life.

“Above all, I hope that their four and half years with us have taught them that character and personal integrity matter more than any GCSE grade.”