A CITY school hit by a wave of illness, thought to be norovirus, will re-open on Monday.
Almost a third of staff at St Clare's School in Mickleover have been struck down with sickness and diarrhoea and could not go to work.
The school decided to close completely on Friday and to send in a team of experts to carry out a "deep clean" on Saturday and Sunday.
Watchdog Public Health England confirmed the sickness outbreak but said it was not aware if any of the school's 90 pupils had been affected. A spokesman said: "We have been notified of 14 staff at St Clare's with sickness and diarrhoea.
"There has been no confirmation from samples as yet to what the illness may be. However, all symptoms and the duration of the illness suggest norovirus."
Although the school will re-open, staff and pupils have been told to stay at home until 48 hours after the last bout of illness.
Norovirus – also know as the winter vomiting disease – is notorious for how infectious it is and how it can spread like wildfire.
Personal hygiene, with thorough hand-washing with soap and water before eating and after going to the toilet, is very important in reducing the spread of infection.
St Clare's caters for children aged 11-16 with moderate learning difficulties. Some have associated emotional and behavioural needs and others have hearing impairment. They travel from areas across the city.
