Regular testing offered to secondary students and family households

Published: 5 March 2021

From Monday 8 March, schools, colleges and practical university courses across the country will be reopening.

As well as public health guidelines surrounding keeping our distance and handwashing, the reopening of schools will be supported by availability of regular asymptomatic testing for pupils and their families.

Asymptomatic individuals are those who carry an illness without displaying any symptoms.

Secondary schools:

• All children will be offered three tests (3-4 days apart) initially at school and then will be given test kits to undertake at home twice a week
• School staff will also be able to undertake twice-weekly home testing

Primary schools:

• Children will not be tested unless they have COVID symptoms
• Staff will continue to be given kits to undertake twice-weekly testing at home

Families and bubbles:

• All families, household bubbles or childcare bubbles of primary or secondary aged children are eligible for twice-weekly home testing

Testing kits will be available from Derby’s local testing sites. There is also availability to order for postal delivery if you are unable to collect a test.

If you or a secondary school pupil receive a positive lateral flow test result from an at-home test, you will need to confirm this result with a PCR (symptomatic) test, which you will be invited to book along with your result.

Any parents who are working in frontline roles and are not able to work from home may be eligible for regular workplace testing or for testing at Derby's Riverside Centre. If they are not, they may take the tests offered at the Local Testing Sites for home usage. Home testing kits will not be available to pick up at the Riverside Centre.

Rapid testing is only for people without symptoms. Anyone who has one of the three main symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste) should stay at home with those they live with and request a PCR test through the national GOV.UK website, or by calling 119.

If any of the following applies, children should not come to school and should follow national guidance and self-isolate at home:

• If a child has symptoms and are waiting to take a test or receive a result
• Someone in their household is waiting to take a test or receive a result
• Has a positive test result or lives with someone who has a positive test result

Please visit the Government website for all the information on COVID guidelines and the reopening of educational settings in England. You can also find out more about school testing on the Council website.

Dr Robyn Dewis, Director of Public Health, Derby City Council, said:

Further availability to asymptomatic testing is a key component of reopening our schools and getting children back to face to face education.

However, it is really important that we remember that the tests are not 100% accurate and are only effective if they are taken regularly and coupled with other measures to keep us safe. We have to continue to be as careful as possible by keeping our distance and washing our hands.

Health