Some pupils from Shotley peninsula, including Brantham and Holbrook will not return to face to face learning following the half-term due to asbestos being found in their school.

East Bergholt High School contacted parents and students to confirm it would be be shut today with students going to online learning for the day.

Students in Year 11 are expected to return to school tomorrow to take mock exams, along with Years 7 and 8 while Years 9, 10 are set to be in on Wednesday.

The school has said it is reviewing the situation and will confirm arrangements for Thursday and Friday in due course, although it is hoping all students will be back for in-person learning "as soon as possible".

Asbestos was discovered on the floor during renovation work so as a precaution, the block has been closed – affecting about one-third of the school's classrooms.

An email sent to parents said: "We are sorry for the disruption this unforeseen situation has caused to your child's education. We are doing everything we can to return to a more normal way of working quickly."

Dan Woodcock, East Bergholt High School's headteacher, said in a statement: "Our primary concern is the safety of our staff and students.

"We are taking precautions on the advice of a professional asbestos company to manage the situation and to allow students to return to their classrooms safely and as quickly as possible."

The 900-strong student school is also looking to procure temporary classrooms to allow in-person education to continue during the disruption.