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Covid 19 testing at home and at school

Lateral Flow testing for students in Years 7 - 14

 

The safety of our school community is the top priority at Uffculme School.  We all want to ensure that the whole school community engages in the learning process as safely as possible when children and young people return to face to face learning in school on March 8th.

You may have heard that testing for those without coronavirus symptoms (asymptomatic) is taking place across schools using new, quicker COVID‑19 tests known as ‘lateral flow devices.’

Many adults and young people and children have the virus but do not show typical symptoms. By testing our school population, we will help to reduce the spread of the virus across school and protect our school community from infection. Staff have been testing twice weekly since early February. 

As we return to whole school face to face learning, we would like to involve as many students as possible in the testing. This is currently available to students from year 7 to year 14. 

Similar to the standard PCR tests, the lateral flow devices involve using a swab of the nose and throat. Where parents/carers agree, students will be shown how to swab by staff in school, with the aim that they will continue to do so at home.

Please note school staff will NOT perform testing on any child/young person; our aim is to teach young people how to self-swab independently guided by staff. Our young people may withdraw their participation at any time.

Many parents/carers may prefer their child to be tested at home, with their parents/carers performing the swabbing process for them. To enable this testing, kits will be sent home for all students at Chamberlain and Russell Road.

Testing at school or at home is voluntary, but we hope that you will support your child and school with the testing process.

We recognise that our young people may find the swabbing process uncomfortable and distressing. Young people should not be under any pressure to participate in or complete a test.

Detailed information about the testing process together with consent forms will be sent home to families. We ask parents to return this consent with their child on Monday 8th March.

A step by step guide to Covid Self Swabbing can be viewed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9XR8RZxKNo&list=PLvaBZskxS7tzQYlVg7lwH5uxAD9UrSzGJ&index=1

Please contact school if you have questions about the process.