Dear Parent/Carer

Students will shortly be moving to twice weekly rapid COVID-19 testing at home.  This is following their first three supervised tests on site at school.

Upt to 1 in 3 people who have COVID-19 have not symptoms and could be spreading it without knowing.  Getting into a regular habit of testing twice a week will help stop the virus spreading, keeping your family and friends safer.

We will be sending home COVID-19 testing kits with your child on today. Your son/daughter will receive two testing kits and a leaflet explaining how to use the kits. Each testing kit has three tests within the box. Please make sure your child tests themselves twice a week 3-5 days apart, in the morning before school if possible and, if not, the evening before. 

Your child should also continue testing twice a week, at home, throughout the Easter school holidays.

We will be sending home extra kits for the Easter holiday before the terms ends.

If your child has not been tested at school yet, then please get in touch with us so that we can arrange a time for them to be tested on site, before beginning home testing. On-site testing does require completion of a consent form by the parent/carer.  

We will retain the facility to test a few children who may not be able to test at home. If you feel your son or daughter needs to continue to use the testing facilities in school, please contact Mrs Flint by Friday 19th March.

This does not replace testing for those with symptoms. If you have symptoms you must self-isolate immediately, book a PCR test and follow national guidelines.  

Reporting results

It is really important results of tests are reported online straight away, even if your child's result is negative or void.  It's easy to do at; www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result

Results can also be reported via telephone by calling 119 (free from mobiles and landlines).  Lines are open every day 7am-11pm.

It is also important to share your child's results with school and this can be done by following this link to our very simple form:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=nCnxVVhfOkuiO1Bau4fh7jugOs8-Z8hClGNd6wqeimNURVg1WkpLODdIUjQ1MURNSDZYTFBKRkNMMy4u 

Testing for parents, households and bubbles twice a week 

A reminder that regular rapid testing is now also available for parents, their households and support or childcare bubbles. The government is encouraging all families to participate in twice weekly testing to help stop the spread. 

Parents and other adults in the household can access tests by: 

• Ordering tests online www.gov.uk/order-school-household-tests    

• Getting an assisted test at work, if it is available 

• Attending a test site to get tested (where you will be able to see how to take the test) or pick up tests to do at home. 

To find out more on school household testing visit Households and bubbles of pupils, students and staff of schools and colleges: get rapid lateral flow tests - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

We continue to encourage everyone to take part in regular Covid-19 testing. 

Thank you for your support

Mrs L Pope - Assistant Headteacher