Educational Institutions: Coronavirus

(asked on 22nd February 2022) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance he has provided to (a) schools, (b) colleges and (c) other educational settings on unused lateral flow test kits; and whether he will make a statement.


Answered by
Robin Walker Portrait
Robin Walker
This question was answered on 25th February 2022

We are moving to a different phase in managing COVID-19, where we learn to live with the virus. From 21 February 2022, staff, children and young people in mainstream education and childcare are no longer asked to test twice per week. Staff, secondary school aged pupils and above in special schools, alternative provision, specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) units within schools and colleges, and open and secure children’s homes, are advised to continue with twice weekly testing.

In mainstream education providers with a specialist SEND unit or further education (FE) equivalent, pupils in year 7 and above, and staff within the unit, should continue to be encouraged to test twice per week. These pupils are more likely to be vulnerable and at a higher risk of poor clinical outcomes because of COVID-19. Providers should supply them with test kits from their existing stocks to enable them to do this. The ordering process for SEND and alternative provision will not be changing.

Updated guidance on asymptomatic testing for education providers has been published, and requests that mainstream providers that have unused and unopened test kit boxes, should retain these for the time being. This stock of self-test kits is to ensure that mainstream providers can commence outbreak testing quickly, if required. We have consistently communicated that orders should only be placed if stock has run out, so we do not expect providers to have a large stock of test kits. The department continues to work closely with the UK Health Security Agency and will be considering how any remaining test kit stocks should be treated. Further details will be made available in due course.

The education ordering channel remains open for providers to obtain test kits if needed, in line with any testing measures agreed by Directors of Public Health or Health Protection Teams, in the event of an outbreak. Providers should not distribute test kits for any staff or pupils who wish to continue regular testing, but advise them to get tests from GOV.UK and local pharmacies.

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