Covid Testing

Here are further details regarding the Government’s coronavirus testing scheme to be rolled out in schools. Along with other protective measures we are taking, these tests will help our staff and students to remain in school safely.  As the current advice suggests that up to one third of people who have coronavirus experience no symptoms, regular testing of staff and students will help to stop the virus spread and keep our school open as safely as possible.  The test is voluntary, but we would encourage all students to engage in this program.

The tests cannot be administered without parental consent. If you have already completed the consent form then this will be used, however, if you haven’t completed the form; in order to provide consent, please complete the google form below.

Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests have been widely and successfully used to detect COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals. No test is perfect, but the speed and convenience of LFD tests supports detection of the virus in asymptomatic individuals who would not otherwise be tested. They are clinically approved and are crucial in the fight against the virus. As the tests are more sensitive with higher viral loads, there is a risk of returning a negative result when viral loads are low (e.g. in the early stages of infection). This is why Public Health England recommend two LFD tests 3 to 4 days apart, or regular testing, to enhance detection by picking up any cases which were not detected during the first test and to catch any new infections.

Home testing kits for students will be available to take home on the third testing day at school. The students will be required to collect the home testing kit from their form tutor. You need to consider where to store the kits when at home. The test kits should be kept at a temperature of between approximately 2*C and 30*C and in a secure place to prevent unauthorised access.  Students will be required to carry out twice weekly testing at home (3 to 4 days apart) before coming into the education setting in the morning. When testing at home, students aged 12-17 should self-test and report with adult supervision (the adult may conduct the test if necessary) and students aged 11 should be tested/swabbed by an adult.

How to self test video

How to self test help sheet

If a student tests positive using a LFD, it is likely that they are infectious at that moment, whereas people testing positive on a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or lab-processed test could be in the less infectious early or late stages of disease. This means that by using the lateral flow test we can identify people with a high viral load who are the most likely to spread the virus further. A negative LFD result should not be read as a means to relax or ignore social distancing or other virus prevention measures intended to reduce transmission – LFD is an additional tool that contributes to reducing risk. Parents/carer will only be contacted by the school if your child has tested positive.

Once the test has been conducted parents/carers will log the test result online at the following link https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result and need to also, separately, inform school of the test result; this will be completed using this google form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKSaDiDsmHmKYctE2a9obKSr08AYldR2KcT-Nk1yqeMiknlA/viewform

Parents/carers will also receive a text/email notification of a positive or negative result from NHS Test & Trace. Tests are free of charge and will be provided by the school. If a student have a positive LFD test result it is essential that you do not come into school and it is imperative that parents/carers email or call Fiona Rowles – Jane on rowles-janef@cambornescience.co.uk or 01209 712280 and further guidance will be provided.