The secondary phase of a Norfolk school will close for 24 hours today after it confirmed a “handful” of coronavirus cases.

Litcham School confirmed its first case of Covid-19 last Monday, and said later in the week it had been alerted to possible additional cases.

On Saturday, headteacher Robert Martlew said he had met with the Norfolk Outbreak Management Team at Norfolk County Council and Public Health England, and said they were happy with the protocols the school had in place.

“I have today contacted all parents to let them know that we now have a handful of confirmed cases within the secondary phase setting,” he said.

“We have made the decision for organisational reasons to close the secondary phase for one day this Monday, October 5. This will allow us to do an extra deep clean of the school, as well as ensuring that we have the right organisational systems in place to ensure that we can continue running effectively while people are isolating for the necessary 14-day period.

“In line with test and trace procedures, all close contacts of anybody who has tested positive have been contacted and advised to isolate for 14 days.

“We would like to thank everyone for their continued support throughout this term, and to reassure them that we will continue to take all the steps necessary to reduce risk.”

It came after the mother of one pupil who tested positive called for more information on the new cases.