Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to mass asymptomatic testing in schools and colleges, what support his Department has provided for school staff to carry out track and trace for students and staff who test positive for covid-19.

In collaboration with the Department of Heath and Social Care and NHS Test and Trace, the Department has provided help and support to all schools and colleges in scope. This support can vary, depending on the settings, but at a minimum all schools and colleges have had access to the following:

1. Published guidance including: Handbook, How to Guide, Standard Operating Procedure, FAQs.
2. We have run a number of webinars to help educational settings understand what is required and how best to implement test and trace.
3. Provided access to an online training package.
4. Access to a dedicated Department for Education Helpline.
5. Supplies of lateral flow antigen test kits and PPE.

Additionally, state funded secondary schools, further education colleges and special schools have been able to access further support to help with setting testing sites up, which includes:

1. Through a triage process, additional support in setting up the testing sites, which in some cases may be on the ground support from the military.
2. Funding is also being provided to help with the set up costs of the testing sites within the educational settings.

The Department is also liaising with the Community Testing Programme to ensure that those educational settings that are not within scope can access this programme.