Parents who this morning arrived at the Oxford school where a pupil contracted swine flu have been assured everything is safe.

The headteacher at Sandhills Primary School, in Terrett Avenue, Headington, issued a letter to parents as they dropped off their children following confirmation on Saturday that a six-year-old pupil had caught, and subsequently recovered from, the illness.

Stephanie Lovett’s letter stated: “As you know we have been advised by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), with whom we are working very closely, that there is no reason for the school not to open as usual, following confirmation that one of our pupils has tested positive for the influenza A (H1N1) virus, known to some of us as ‘swine flu’.

“I am very happy to report that the pupil is recovering very well and the HPA has confirmed that there is no reason why she should not return to school this Wednesday and so we look forward to welcoming her then.”

Parents outside the school gates said they were phoned by teachers over the weekend to inform them of the situation.

Tracy Price, who has a daughter in Year Three and a son in Year Five, said:”I cannot imagine anything else the school could have done other than close it, which would have been ridiculous. I think they did a really good job of informing parents.”