Covid test reporting for secondary students

I agree, the form is overly complicated. I use the DCs (school) email addresses but my phone no. I'm doing tests for work (NHS) too and that form is a huge amount simpler(and was simplified after feedback from staff)

You are over thinking this. My high school.child dosent have a phone or email many don't so I always put my number and email. Even if he did I would still put mine. If they have any queries they will be addressed by me not my child.

@GrasswillbeGreener schools do mass data uploads for in school testing

I'll be interested to hear how this system is working for my children, both boarders. For various reasons the 15 yr old doesn't actually have a phone of his own yet either. (should get around to sorting it out ... but does all his keeping in touch online anyway)

We don't have a school reporting form. We just do the nhs one and tell the school of positive

I did wonder when you scan whether it can read whether it's positive as well as the serial number. I don't think so though

My phone reads the QR codes off the strips.

Our school reporting form asks you to declare that you have done the NHS report first so we have to do it or lie to the school.

I do agree that the whole thing is unnecessarily complicated though, I am rolling my eyes at the fact that we have to do it through the Easter holidays now as well as term time.

Does the school get notified who's doing it? Or only if positive? Or not at all?

On the system I use you can scan the test strip number rather than input it.

@SJaneS49 I have the same problem. I get my daughter to read it out to me. Otherwise take a photo and zoom in. I thought the QR code might be of use but it doesn't seem to do anything

I’ve been putting my own number and email address - I know that’s not what it’s asked for but quite honestly I’d rather be in control of the process.

My main gripe with it is entering the test strip number - are others able to read this easily because my middle aged eyes don’t!

I'm sure I read somewhere for reporting the lateral flow results that if you are reporting for a child under 16 then you should put your phone no & email address.

The reporting process is unnecessarily complicated. Even if it hardly took any time and effort, I guess not many parents would bother doing it, but with the system as it is it must be only the most diligent ones who are reporting.

Another factor that is certainly contributing to the unwillingness to report is the inaccuracy of the tests. We report a negative LFT result as if it is indeed negative thus skewing the statistics of the infections.

Thanks @ImpatientAnn

You are putting in their name, DOB, address, school, those are the things that will be used for research and statistics, not their phone number.

Can someone point me to where you can set up a login? I have a link that the school sent out which takes me directly to the reporting page, but can't see an option in there (I've only looked on my phone so may be missing something?)

As I see it, it's only really needed if you report a positive test, then they are going to ring the number you give them to tell you to get a PCR test, take details of contacts etc, it would be better for them to have your number for all that anyway in the case of an 11 year old.

The thing I find most infuriating is that "for security" you have to enter the phone number twice and you can't use the "paste" function. I do not know my DC phone numbers by heart because they are stored in my phone memory and I have to switch between the contacts tab and the test reporting tab multiple times remembering 4 digits at a time and do it twice.

I think the thing is that the government commissioned one IT system for recording and reporting results, which has been in use for months and which was designed for the theoretical scenario of a worker at a test site or perhaps a school nurse processing tests for a large number of people. Once you input a phone number you get a text message to that phone number telling you your test was negative, which does seem silly because obviously you already know, but it would probably be an even bigger waste of taxpayer funds for the government to pay for more software development consultancy time just to create a system that is more tailored to the scenario of parents reporting the results of their own child's test.

As with so many other things at the moment it's best just to accept that it is what it is and go along with the path of least resistance. If you really don't want to give your DCs phone number you can buy a pay-as-you-go simcard for 50p from asda (or various other places) which will come with a 'disposable' phone number that you use solely for this purpose. The simcard doesn't even need to be put into a phone call the number is used for is sending a text with information you already know.

My 14 year old has had a phone since he was 9. I still give my phone number for everything official (except so he can use his debit card online after June something, have to get around to giving his number to the bank for that).

You’re over thinking this. Just put your contact details down.

My children are still doing their tests at school/college and results are emailed and text to me. But if they move to home testing I’ll still be putting my number down.