A coastal school has been forced to close at short notice following high staff absences due to coronavirus.

Cliff Park Ormiston Academy in Gorleston issued a message on its website on Friday which read: “The academy is CLOSED to all year groups on Friday November 6. There will be a letter to parents shortly and all students are to access remote learning via the website.

“There will be no Microsoft Teams lessons today.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the school said: “We have taken the difficult decision to close the academy today, as a result of high staff absences.

“The absences are a result of confirmed cases among staff, and the need for other members of staff to self-isolate.

“This is not a decision taken lightly, however it would not be safe, or responsible, to open with the current staffing levels and instead students are accessing remote learning from home to help minimise any disruption to their education.

“We are in the process of working through plans with Public Health England, and we will provide a further update to parents/carers at the earliest opportunity.”