After a successful two weeks of Mass Testing, students will be now move to twice weekly, rapid COVID-19 testing at home. This is following their first three supervised tests on site at school/college. Up to 1 in 3 people who have COVID-19 have no symptoms and could be spreading it without knowing. Getting into a regular habit of testing twice a week will help stop the virus spreading, keeping your family and friends safer.
We are sending home 3 boxes of COVID-19 testing kits (3 tests per box) with your child today to commence your home testing on Monday 22nd March. Please make sure your child tests themselves twice a week 3-5 days apart, in the morning before school if possible and, if not, the evening before. We recommend Monday and Thursday.
Your child should also continue testing twice a week, at home, throughout the Easter school holidays. You should have enough kits to last your child until they return after the holidays. We will then issue more in the new term.
If your child has not been tested at school yet, then please get in touch with us so that we can arrange a time for them to be tested on site, before beginning home testing.
This does not replace testing for those with symptoms. If your child has symptoms you must self-isolate immediately, book a PCR test and follow national guidelines.
Reporting results
Step one: It is important that results of each test are reported online straight away, even if your child’s result is negative or void. It’s easy to do at www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result.
Results can also be reported via telephone by calling 119 (free from mobiles and landlines). Lines are open every day, 7am to 11pm if you prefer.
Step Two: It is important to keep a note of your child’s results and share with school or college as well. Please do this by visiting our school website and clicking to log a home test result. You can also scan this QR code to access the link you need. (Do this for all results: Positive/Negative/Void).
How to use your tests
Inside your envelope you will find 3 boxes of test kits. (9 tests total) and a separate instruction booklet. Please keep the booklet safe for use in future tests. Inside each test box will be a separate set of instructions, please discard these as they are an outdated version.
The instructions take you through a step by step process however we do also have a tutorial video available should you wish to view this here.
Testing for parents, households and bubbles twice a week
A reminder that regular rapid testing is now also available for parents, their households and support or childcare bubbles. The government is encouraging all families to participate in twice weekly testing to help stop the spread.
Parents and other adults in the household can access tests by:
Please do not use the kits provided for school on another member of your bubble, these kits are linked to your child in the academy.
To find out more on school household testing visit Households and bubbles of pupils, students and staff of schools and colleges: get rapid lateral flow tests - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you have any questions at all, please email enquiries@salfordcity-academy.org and a member of our Covid-19 team will contact you.
We continue to encourage everyone to take part in regular Covid-19 testing.