A Welwyn Garden City school has decided to make mask wearing in corridors mandatory for pupils.

Monk’s Walk School will now enforce, rather than encourage mask wearing, following two year groups from other schools in the borough being sent home due to cases of coronavirus.

In a public post a spokesperson for the school said: “As the pandemic appears to be worsening and cases rising, I am writing to inform you that from Monday next, September 14, we are moving from encouraging students to wear a mask in the corridors to making this compulsory.

“We are desperately trying to avoid the situation where a positive test means a whole year group, or year groups in some schools, have to be sent home, as is the case in other schools nationally.

“The only exception will be for students who have a medical reason not to wear a mask. We will ask you to provide a medical letter for that exception.

“I know from previous correspondence that we have a very small number of parents who believe that this is overkill. I would ask you to support the school though, and consider your child wearing a mask in the corridors as a simple courtesy to other students and to the staff working in school.”