January school testing

[Wellthiswillhelp]

Just received details of school testing, all back on 11th when sixth form will be tested and then each day a different year will be tested with Year 7 finally being tested on the Friday.
So for four days year 7 will be in school mixing without a test. I fail to see the point of testing them after four days as they would have had plenty of time to spread it. Does anyone else know what there school is doing, it makes more sense to test kids before they return.

(not a teacher bashing thread, I think it's preposterous that schools have to try and sort this over the holidays)

I think all students have to be tested twice, so maybe Y7 will be tested in the first week as well? I amazed the school have got a plan together so quickly.

If you are uncomfortable, I would keep your child off until all tests are done - bearing in mind they are only about 60% accurate anyway.

Kids with symptoms will still have to stay off, though, so really it is the same position that you were in all of last term...

The school had been selected to do testing in Jan before this new idea so are ahead of the game. I get that it's the same as before but I thought the idea was to try and stop transmission. Think will keep kid off but if only 60% accurate maybe that will be pointless.

Given that part of the suggested testing regime would actually make schools more dangerous places, and that head teachers, the unions and the Church of England all know this, I don’t think it will go ahead. However, the DfE will probably let schools bust a gut getting it all set up and then cancel at the last minute, because that’s how they do things.

@bornatXmastobequiet

Given that part of the suggested testing regime would actually make schools more dangerous places, and that head teachers, the unions and the Church of England all know this, I don’t think it will go ahead. However, the DfE will probably let schools bust a gut getting it all set up and then cancel at the last minute, because that’s how they do things.

I think this is highly likely.

The schools testing regime is a complete nonsense

It might be up some asymptomatic cases though, which will be helpful.

But it's not going to make schools 'safe'

And indeed if they persist with the policy of test instead of SI, then it's more likely to make them rather more risky.

Our local authority is asking all students to have a test during week of 27.12 so that they know either way before returning. How many will, I don't know.

My dd year 10 is doing remote learning for the first week back. All years except 13 and 11 are.

Nothing at all about testing yet...

Surely they should be learning on line then going in year by year for testing? So year 11 in, tested.
Year 10 in and tested and so on until the picture of positives becomes clear and sorted for each group?..

I agree with you. Schools should not reopen fully until every child has been tested at a testing centre (not at school). This needs to be prioritised.

Not everyone is going to give their consent to this bollocks though are they.

@TheRubyRedshoes

Surely they should be learning on line then going in year by year for testing? So year 11 in, tested. Year 10 in and tested and so on until the picture of positives becomes clear and sorted for each group?..

That's what I thought but it's really clear in the letter that all back before testing.

I know some won't give consent but I think the majority will.

My DC school has basically said they have not been provided with any further information, training , staff or kits to tell parents how it will work with testing in new year . They were only informed on Tuesday about this.. I really feel for secondary school staff, this has been sprung on them just before the holidays

@bornatXmastobequiet

Given that part of the suggested testing regime would actually make schools more dangerous places, and that head teachers, the unions and the Church of England all know this, I don’t think it will go ahead. However, the DfE will probably let schools bust a gut getting it all set up and then cancel at the last minute, because that’s how they do things.

Can you please explain why it will make schools more dangerous, is it because they don't plan to send contacts home?

Peach I agree, when it l doesn't happen in Jan the govt will just blame the lazy unhelpful teachers for the failure to get kids tested, because it has to be Someone Elses Fault

Not everyone can be tested simultaneously someone needs to go first someone needs to go last unfortunately that's life. Maybe they are doing oldest to youngest because they feel the older ones spread it more who knows?
The school is trying to make the best of a tough situation with very little time and resources available

@TheRubyRedshoes

Surely they should be learning on line then going in year by year for testing? So year 11 in, tested. Year 10 in and tested and so on until the picture of positives becomes clear and sorted for each group?..

This is the theoretical plan for the first week back, but it's going to be very difficult logistically to get 1000+ people tested in a week with very little notice.

Schools are supposed to have all students back on Monday 11th, there's no provision for not being able to test everyone.

Some schools will not even have a full week to do the testing as we have planned inset days or slightly different term dates etc.

I wonder what’s going to happen if your child refuses to be tested (if it’s the very unpleasant deep nasal swabs, rather than lateral flow?)
A very worrying problem for many SEN and autistic kids in particular

I saw a theoretical suggestion in a paper that around 100 kids could be tested in 3 hours, so that's about 6 hours per year group accounting for a short break for the testers.

And even their suggestion of how testing would work sounded unlikely.

@Littlewhitedove2

I wonder what’s going to happen if your child refuses to be tested (if it’s the very unpleasant deep nasal swabs, rather than lateral flow?) A very worrying problem for many SEN and autistic kids in particular

The tests proposed in schools are the nasal swab ones - up each nostril until it meets resistance I believe.

And yes, there will be children who refuse even if their parents consent.

@Houseplantmad

Our local authority is asking all students to have a test during week of 27.12 so that they know either way before returning. How many will, I don't know.

Does your area have rapid mass testing for community? Or just normal testing centres and you lie say they have symptoms to get tested?

People misinterpreted Liverpool
They piloted it in handful of schools using the army.
The community could rapid mass test but take up was low in the less affluent areas where the virus was more prevalent.

Its bonkers senior school kids take bus and train to school.
Enter school grounds mix with pupils and staff and pot luck what year group what day they get tested on.
Logistically you can't mass test 1000 plus pupils in 1 day in the school hall safely.
If they test postive that may result in more kids and staff self isolating.

They not planning on testing primary kids at all they return start jan and spread to however.
I find primary age kids more cuddly and hands I with relatives they see over xmas break than teenagers.
Years 2 to 6 is growing you can reach age 10 in year 5 so upper ks2 seems as much risk as year 7s.
Primary numbers growing and many show no symptoms or different symptoms.

We in this position because they refused make changes and invest to make schools safer.
Testing is reactive not proactive.
Doesn't break the chains of transmission.
I rather avoid mine getting it.
Other countries gone virtual including Germany no ones banging on their mental health or Danish or Dutch students.
If so many parents are stay at home its doable offer blended and have less in school making schools safer.
School Infections tend to mirror level infection in community.
So if London is high schools will be high.
Why do we keep making same mistakes and expecting different results?

They should have to show proof of a negative test before going back and there is no way the tests should replace isolation. Large gatherings are very risky, if they don’t isolate when there are cases it will rip through and be far worse than it is now.

It would be better to go remote for January/February and get the tests up and running twice weekly with qualified people coming in to do them. Unfair to put even more riskier work on school staff. They signed up to educate not be healthcare or childcare.

The tests proposed in schools are the nasal swab ones-up each nostril until it meets resistance I believe

It’s both-nasal and throat.

This is the poster from the schools testing handbook

Can you please explain why it will make schools more dangerous, is it because they don't plan to send contacts home?

Yes. The testing regime is supposed to replace isolation, potentially keeping asymptomatic positive individuals in school as these tests are known to be unreliable.

Our school has provided temporary guidance (subject to change). All senior years (has Primary School attached too) with exception of exam years will be at home remote learning until called in for a test

So are these going to be the unpleasant tests then? I thought that a symptomatic cases would have the lateral flow which are not nearly as invasive?

Can you please explain why it will make schools more dangerous, is it because they don't plan to send contacts home?

Yes, so in schools, where any close contacts of positive cases would have been whipped out and sent home ASAP, they will now be identified but kept in school and tested with pretty unreliable tests daily by volunteers, and only if that shows a positive test, will they be sent home.

So, alongside all those close contacts-who will all be kept somewhere each morning (together waiting for a good half an hour in the school hall, I would imagine)- you will have teachers with positive family members teaching your kids and children with positive siblings sitting next to your kids.

You will also have sudden and immediate problems where at 9.30, when the results are in and teachers who are close contacts test positive. They will be sent home and unable to teach/supervise classes in person. The staffing consequences could well be a nightmare to cover.