What take up are you getting for staff testing?

[Nopreservatives]

As an SLT we put the testing in place as requested. On advice from the LA, we never used it for 7 day testing, our LA always said that wasn't safe and we haven't used it for students, we were too late for the return after Christmas and LA have said no expectation for ongoing testing of children.

However, we are still offering weekly testing to staff who want it, but the take up is so low, we're thinking of stopping. (None of this is mandatory).

If it makes a difference, we're in an area where it's easy for everyone to get asymptomatic testing if they want it. I have no reason to believe that's what staff are doing, but the few that are having weekly testing could access a test elsewhere if they wanted to.

Are many staff in your schools having the test regularly?

We are starting the lateral flow tests twice weekly. Tests are being delivered this week. So far no staff member have said they don't want to take part. We will be giving a supply of self test kits to each staff member to use at home.

When the LA wanted us all to test weekly (started back in May) not many people did it because it was at drive in centres (not all our staff drive) and were allocated centres some distance away (I was sent to one a 40 minute drive away one week).

We're secondary so we don't have access to the home tests, we have to run a testing centre on site, which is quite a commitment in terms of both time and space.

Staff wanted the tests initially, but numbers have dwindled very quickly.

We are a Primary school starting with LFTs to take home this week, most staff are in most of the week to cover critical /vulnerable children. We have had 80%uptake so far but I’m expecting that to go up as test kits are handed out before our first testing session on Wednesday evening (they were only delivered today).

Once we start I’m not expecting numbers to drop. I may be wrong though!

I work part of the week in a secondary school where LFT testing has been in place for a few weeks and a primary where I was given a home kit last week.

The secondary did its first tests on a Tuesday & Friday in the week we returned, but since then it's Mondays & Thursdays. I work there Mondays, Tuesdays & Fridays. I asked about Thursdays and the Head told me to come in for it. No joke, it's a 32 mile round trip and he told me "it's for your own good". Except it isn't, is it? Why do I need to do an invasive test using something which is proven to be less than reliable anyway? Being told you have Covid doesn't magically make it go away.

Now the bloody primary is at it. They gave me a home pack. I have a dispensation not to do it on Sunday because I get a test on a Monday at the other school. However, I feel really strongly that I don't want to do it. They have a spreadsheet with QR codes & the like that I am meant to fill in.

As someone who detests everything this shitshow of a government stands for, plus I am completely fed up trying to teach a creative subject remotely using software that was never meant for this over crappy pathetic rural broadband, I want to tell them to shove their tests where the sun doesn't shine, preferably into some of Gav's orifices. But that's career suicide. How can I say politely and calmly, no I'm not doing the test and you cannot compel me? Everyone else just sucks it up.

The testing is very optional, you can very easily just say no, or just not do it. Teachers were asking for regular testing and now it's available...

We’re starting it in our Primary school this week but have been told that it’s completely optional. There’s no pressure on anyone to do it. Most of my colleagues are happy to do it, me included. The Head did say that if we opted to do it but changed our minds, that was fine, we could just stop.