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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Lateral flow tests are your kids doing them regularly?

96 replies

1starwars2 · 05/05/2021 09:58

My Secondary children are testing irregularly. One of them tested last Sunday, I think the other last tested last Wednesday.
I remind them on testing days and will help/supervise, but they no longer want to do them. Are your children still testing twice a week?

OP posts:

alrightfella · 06/05/2021 13:31

Twice a week. It has to reported to the school via an app so no escaping it. Glad our schools are so hot on this.

littleducks · 06/05/2021 13:40

No. DS had never been provided with any, apparently school has ordered some more. He missed out the big handout day as was sent home to self isolate due to a contact on school. Dd does test but not diligently.

I'm no longer taking part in work testing either now have had both vaccine doses and wear ppe

Angel2702 · 06/05/2021 13:48

Yes non negotiable here. My year ten is currently isolating yet again due to people not testing on the Sunday as requested and infecting people on the Monday at school.

bonbonours · 06/05/2021 13:51

We are (me and two teenagers), more or less but like others I don't think the teens are doing it particularly well so I question the accuracy. They swipe mouth and nose very fast, not the 15 seconds or whatever it's supposed to be. On the other hand case numbers are very low here so I'm not sure I can be bothered to get stressed about it.

elliejjtiny · 06/05/2021 13:55

No. We've tried, and managed it once, but both have ASD and dc2 has already attempted suicide this year so I'm reluctant to push it.

PhilCornwall1 · 06/05/2021 13:59

Eldest at college isn't doing it, youngest in secondary was doing it and it's now tailed off to I think none this week and can't remember for the week before.

Eldest is 19, so totally up to him. Youngest we have always said it's his choice to do them or not.

LadyCatStark · 06/05/2021 14:08

Not religiously. We tend to do the Sunday one and forget the Wednesday one. School sent out reminders at first but now they don’t so I think it’s quietly going out the window...

SocraticJunkieWannabe · 06/05/2021 14:08

Yes, twice a week, and so are me and DP

Chasingsquirrels · 06/05/2021 14:11

15yo is.
18yo says he is, but I just leave him to it.
I do them periodically, if I'm going to be seeing someone, going into the office, etc.

00100001 · 06/05/2021 14:40

@Angel2702

Yes non negotiable here. My year ten is currently isolating yet again due to people not testing on the Sunday as requested and infecting people on the Monday at school.

How do you know they didn't test? How did the positive case get discovered? How do you know the non-testers were the ones to spread it?

OublietteBravo · 06/05/2021 14:46

Yes. We picked up an asymptomatic case in DD via lateral flow (subsequently confirmed by PCR), which means we all isolated and stopped her brother taking it into the boarding house with him after exeat (he subsequently tested positive too).

traumatisednoodle · 06/05/2021 14:50

Yes both doing it twice a week as am I. We want the cases to stay low and the schools to stay open. It's not perfect, masks reduce but do nor eliminate the spread, vaccination isn't 100% we need to do all of these to keep this thing under control.

canigooutyet · 06/05/2021 14:52

Nope.
Teen DS knows that it's not compulsory as he read all the information sent from the school. I signed consent knowing he has the right to refuse. His HOY did try and tell him off the first week, ASD teen reminded him it's not compulsory.

His gag reflex isn't that great and when they were testing in school he threw up. I did give the school an heads up, but what do I know 🤣

Angel2702 · 06/05/2021 15:01

They didn’t test on the Sunday, went to school on Monday and tested on the Monday night positive. Entire year ten disrupted and several positive tests of their close contacts. Had they tested on the Sunday night as we are reminded to and it was positive nobody else would have been forced to isolate. So yes the tests are worthwhile as if done consistently they can reduce hundreds of families being disrupted. They don’t pick up every case but those it doesn’t pick up stop further chains of transmission.

Roomba · 06/05/2021 15:38

DS1 (Y10) is still testing twice weekly as required. Mostly because I remind him repeatedly until it is done, twice a week!

According to DS pretty much everyone is still testing regularly at his school. I'm glad - a boarder in his class tested positive after the easter holidays despite zero symptoms (confirmed by PCR). Without regular tests, half the class and his fellow boarders could have caught it.

WeAllHaveWings · 06/05/2021 15:49

ds does his twice a week willingly. He understands the reasons beyond his own very temporary discomfort.

Pastanred · 06/05/2021 20:36

My teens haven’t done one

No one I know say their kids have done them either but all year 10/11 so scared of being off I think

AuntieUrsula · 07/05/2021 18:34

Mine haven't done any. The school doesn't ask.

traumatisednoodle · 07/05/2021 18:47

Mine haven't done any. The school doesn't ask.
Are these secondary school pupols in the UK ? I find that difficult to believe.

KaleSlayer · 07/05/2021 19:06

Are these secondary school pupols in the UK ? I find that difficult to believe.

My kids did the ones at school/college in the first weeks of testing but nothing since. My kids and their friends aren’t picking up the home tests and the school/college aren’t chasing.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 07/05/2021 19:09

@traumatisednoodle

Mine haven't done any. The school doesn't ask. Are these secondary school pupols in the UK ? I find that difficult to believe.

My DD's in a secondary school here that didn't ask until this month. But I guess you think I'm lying

KaleSlayer · 07/05/2021 19:09

We’re in England, the school can’t be that bothered, the tests aren’t compulsary so what can they do I suppose.

picturesandpickles · 07/05/2021 19:12

Yes, although I am pretty dubious about LFTs in general, we have done them.

Original poster

1starwars2 · 07/05/2021 19:13

Our school doesn't ask. I think if they want all the kids to do it they should push it a bit more. Maybe they don't though???
There is a bi weekly reminder on the school Facebook page saying 'if you are testing, today's the day'.
No real encouragement.

OP posts:

osbertthesyrianhamster · 07/05/2021 19:17

@1starwars2

Our school doesn't ask. I think if they want all the kids to do it they should push it a bit more. Maybe they don't though??? There is a bi weekly reminder on the school Facebook page saying 'if you are testing, today's the day'. No real encouragement.

So? No one should be pressured or encouraged to have a medical test on their body they don't want.

What kind of message are we sending to kids about boundaries and bodily autonomy?

They know it's on offer if they want to take it up.

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