Pupils at Ballacottier School have been sent home after a deep clean aimed at tackling an outbreak of norovirus has proved unsatisfactory.

The school, in Farm Hill, Braddan, was closed on Friday to allow the cleaning process to take place after more than 100 of the school’s 270 pupils were affected.

However, parents were this morning asked to collect their children after the cleaning was found to fall short of the standard required.

An investigation has now been launched by Department of Infrastructure into why the work wasn’t done properly.

In the meantime, arrangements have been made to reopen the mothballed Fairfield Junior School in Tynwald Street, Douglas, from tomorrow (Tuesday) to accommodate pupils.

School will commence at 9am as usual and will finish Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 3pm for infants and 3.30pm for juniors. Pupils are asked to bring packed lunches and arrangements will be made to provide lunch for pupils entitled to free school meals.

On Friday, the school will close at midday for infants and 12.30pm for juniors. No lunch will be provided that day. This will allow all the equipment being taken to Fairfield to be relocated back to Ballacottier that afternoon ready for the start of the summer term.

Fairfield School closed its doors in July last year, ahead of pupils moving to the new Henry Bloom Noble School on the nearby former hospital site in Westmoreland Road in September.

Ballacottier will reopen as normal after the Easter holidays on Monday, April 24.

A statement from the Department of Education and Children said: ’Unfortunately, upon reopening the school this morning it was discovered that the cleaning has not been carried out to the required standard, something that will be investigated and lessons learned for the future.

’It is necessary to close the school again with immediate effect to allow a complete decontamination using specialist materials - a process that will take several days.

’Any parents who do not wish to send their children to alternative premises have the option of keeping their children at home until school reopens.

’The Department of Education and Children realises the impact this further closure will have on parents but the health of the pupils is the paramount consideration.’

A spokesman for the Department of Infrastructure said: ’A complete decontamination of the [Ballacottier] site is taking place using specialist materials.

’The health and wellbeing of the children and teachers is our main concern and the deep clean is taking place in line with advice from the Public Health Directorate.

’An enquiry has been launched into why the school was not cleaned to the necessary specification at the weekend.

’We are speaking to the contractors employed to carry out the work and are reviewing our processes to try to prevent an issue of this nature occurring in future.’

Parents are reminded that they should not send their children to school if they show signs of the norovirus and should keep them off school until 48 hours after the end of symptoms.

Anyone with queries should ring the DEC on 685808.