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Original poster

Secondary school testing must be on site?

82 replies

Donatella · 03/01/2022 08:25

I've just read this on the BBC, does anyone have any more details? Have the government really made this announcement via Twitter, on a bank holiday, the day before term will be starting in a lot of schools?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59854920

I have a child in secondary. She is due back tomorrow morning at 8.30. The school have asked all kids to test at home today and send them the results. If this article is correct (a big if) then does that mean the school have to delay the start of term/conjure up a plan to test all kids before they go back tomorrow and inform parents about this before 8.30am tomorrow? On a bank holiday??

OP posts:
christmascharade · 03/01/2022 09:02

@christmascharade

Our school is offering a choice - come in for on site testing or do an LFT at home.
The on site testing is a day before school starts.
Mumdiva99 · 03/01/2022 09:06

All school children (secondary) and all school children's adult families should be testing twice a week already.
Our secondary school test in form time before lessons on day back and as required depending on number of cases at school.

Whitefire · 03/01/2022 09:06

Our secondary already has the first two days set aside as testing, with full school back on Thursday. It is a large school (300 intake) so doing it over two days.

CalmDownBoris72 · 03/01/2022 09:10

This he been in place for both of my older two children since the end of the lockdown earlier this year. They’re at different schools.

They get given a time slot to attend school for a LF and then return home for online learning that day. This information was sent out before the end of term. Same last April and in September.

cheeseismydownfall · 03/01/2022 09:18

Our school is definitely NOT doing onsite testing, I have just rechecked the email. They are asking for an LFT to be completed at home tonight or first thing tomorrow morning.

So it is definitely news to them...

BlueCherryBlossom · 03/01/2022 09:20

Our school has had on-site testing planned since before Christmas (and everyone asked to LFT at home beforehand) but our numbers/set up mean they would need to stagger start dates to LFT everyone before they are allowed to join classes. Currently everyone is due back in tomorrow morning Confused

Think they were planning to run it as a regular mass testing thing, with kids pulled out of lessons year group by year group.

Is anything in this 'announcement' new? Eg the not entering classes prior to negative LFT bit?

ItsAlwaysThere · 03/01/2022 09:20

@cheeseismydownfall

Our school is definitely NOT doing onsite testing, I have just rechecked the email. They are asking for an LFT to be completed at home tonight or first thing tomorrow morning.

So it is definitely news to them...

I don't know if it's new information for our school, but they asked for home lft testing on the morning of return so presumably it is.
Theforest · 03/01/2022 09:22

our secondary school has had this arranged since weeks before Christmas. It's strange this isn't the case everywhere

GoodnightGrandma · 03/01/2022 09:24

My DD’s school is also doing staggered start so all are tested at school.

rainrainraincamedowndowndown · 03/01/2022 09:25

My dc's school already planned staggered on site testing for January. Just checked the schedules online, and it's dated beginning of December.

Wowwellokthen · 03/01/2022 09:27

I wonder what they are doing about the huge percentage of kids who have had covid in the last 3 months? Are the guidelines still that you are not meant to be tested within 90 days?

ThievesTemple · 03/01/2022 09:29

Yes staggered start here too. We have a date and time for each form to arrive at the school. I wait in the car park, test in hall, then home.

AliMonkey · 03/01/2022 09:31

I must admit I’m tempted to not send my DC to be tested at school as they have been testing at home and indeed testing this morning as we ate meeting friends this afternoon. But I’m sending them as I reckon the fewer that go in, the greater the likelihood that next time others won’t bother. And it gets them out if the house when I’m trying to work!

user1471530109 · 03/01/2022 09:33

I haven't read the DFE information on this. But I expect it's guidance or recommendation rather than mandatory. Like all their covid mitigations.
Our school is asking for students and staff to do LFT at home. The ones that won't do it are the ones that wouldn't have given permission for the on site testing to be honest. I'm not sure I agree with the schools decision, but I can completely understand the reasoning for not doing in site testing when it's the same bloody test as given at home and on site is subject to parental and student permission. All students were given a box of 7 LFT before we broke up and asked to use the for the day of/before return.

Vickles20 · 03/01/2022 09:34

We have no Lf tests left! And had the email yesterday about testing at home for returning on Wednesday.

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 03/01/2022 09:36

Our kids were always doing online learning the first week back and coming in twice to do
A LFT before starting in school on 10th

Francounder · 03/01/2022 09:36

@Wowwellokthen

I wonder what they are doing about the huge percentage of kids who have had covid in the last 3 months? Are the guidelines still that you are not meant to be tested within 90 days?
Yes, those children have been told not to come in for testing. Another reason numbers will be low.
Watapalava · 03/01/2022 09:36

Our school of 900 is just doing then in form. They carried on with onsite testing in from sept- its always been onsite and in form. These schools doing staggered starts are taking the piss they could be done in form or a class.

Saying that only about 30% kids do them because of previous infection/refusals. Hardly any of year 11 do them as they dont want to be off and they just say no.

MrsMariaReynolds · 03/01/2022 09:37

DS's secondary, which starts a staggered return from Weds is doing both on-site testing as well as asking pupils and staff to test at home the evening before their scheduled return.

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 03/01/2022 09:37

@Watapalava

900 kids in a secondary school is tiny.

We have 2000 kids

Watapalava · 03/01/2022 09:40

Once

Bur presumably they are all split into smaller forms or classes so why cant they do them in form?

rainydogday · 03/01/2022 09:41

I don't
Understand why they keep doing this? Most of DD year group aren't bothering as they will do the same test at home before going to school. I would have to take the day off to get her her there for a 5 min test and bring her home again. Bit bonkers.

Schoolchoicesucks · 03/01/2022 09:41

Dc's school had been told to plan for on-site testing before the holidays.
They are starting back a day later than originally planned to accommodate on-site tests for those who want them. They have strongly encouraged pupils to test at home and submit the results, saying pupils have been testing at home for over a year and the staff in school are no more expert than the pupils and their parents.
If they had to test all pupils on site they would have had to delay return for more than a day.

Houseplantmad · 03/01/2022 09:42

"It's been said since before Christmas and it's bloody good news. No more faking it hopefully."

@PAFMO At the school I work at unfortunately a significant number of parents/students refuse permission to take part and get tested so those who do just go back into lessons untested which, in my opinion, defeats the purpose of the whole testing programme!

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 03/01/2022 09:43

@Watapalava

As each kid doing them is supervised in our school by a member of staff dressed in PPE.

So a tutor wouldn’t be able to supervise 30 kids doing a test at the same time