FACE-to-face teaching at Bolton College will be suspended next week with students learning remotely from home.

It comes as a number of schools started to partially shut this week because of a shortage of staff, who under Government guidelines are self-isolating or fall into "high risk" categories.

Bill Webster principal of Bolton College stressed the college was not closed with students being taught online, through distance learning methods.

The move follows that taken by a number of educational institutions, especially universities.

Mr Webster said the college was geared up to teach students remotely in light of Government guidelines to tackle the pandemic, which meant a number of staff are unable to come into college as they fell into the "high risk" category.

Anybody who is invited to have the flu-jab is placed in the high risk bracket

He stressed the college had not had any confirmed cases of coronavirus on campus ­— and the decision had been taken on the grounds of health and well-being.

Mr Webster said: "As global uncertainty around coronavirus continues, Bolton College has taken the decision to move to online and home learning, for all learners, from Monday 23rd March.

"All industry/work placements will cease from Monday.

"Bolton College apprentices can continue to work, if their employers say it is safe to do so"

He added: "The health, wellbeing and safety of all of our learners and staff is vitally important to us.

"The college is not shut we are changing the way we teach in light of the coronavirus."

Little Lever High School closed to all but Year 11 pupils due to the number of staff self-isolating as a result of having symptoms or falling into one of the high risk categories.

Headteacher Dominic Mckeon said: "We are following government guidelines in trying to keep the school open but as expected it is becoming increasingly more difficult to do this.

"There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 but we have acted in line with government guidance where staff and students have presented symptoms.

"We have not taken this decision lightly and we are aware that these measures will cause significant disruption to families and people’s livelihoods but the advice is clear and is there to save lives."

The school is to implement online learning.

Thornleigh Salesian College is shut tomorrow, as a result of staffing issues, to Year 9, 10 and 12 students, with Years 7, 8, 11 and 13 students attending as usual.