“It’s a sensible, targeted approach” - Testing on the timetable in Calderdale schools

The lateral flow tests arrived at five schools and Calderdale College this week as part of a pilot scheme.

Ryburn Valley High School, The North Halifax Grammar School, The Halifax Academy, Holy Trinity Primary School, Tuel Lane Infant School and Calderdale College received a month’s worth of lateral flow tests.

School and college staff will be tested at least once a week, with more than 2,000 tests due to be taken in one week alone.

The supplies already delivered will cover the period up until the Christmas holidays and the return to school in January.

The Council’s School Nursing Team has trained school staff to administer the tests themselves.Coun Tim Swift, Calderdale Council’s Leader and Cabinet Member for Public Health, said: “As the COVID-19 rate is still too high in Calderdale, we’re pleased that targeted testing is now underway for staff in several Calderdale schools as one of the many measures being used to control the virus. We are also trialling testing students in key year groups, and any testing of children and young people will only be undertaken with parental consent.

“We are doing all we can to protect and support people most at risk, and that’s why we’re focusing our targeted community testing on higher-risk places and jobs where we know that people are more likely to come into contact with the virus, such as in schools.

“Rapid lateral flow tests are not as reliable as the laboratory analysed test, so anyone with COVID-19 symptoms should book a laboratory analysed test in the usual way. We must all continue to do the three big things to reduce the spread of COVID-19 – limit our contact with others, wear a face covering and isolate when needed.”

David Lord, CEO of the Together Learning Trust, which encorporates Ryburn Valley High School, said: “I would like to state emphatically that the support we have received since the start of the pandemic from Ben Leaman and Naomi Marquis from Calderdale Public Health has been nothing short of amazing.

“Leaders, staff and students in all our schools have gone above and beyond to ensure schools are safe and learning has been excellent, whether it has been in the classroom or remotely via ‘live’ lessons at home.

“As a result of all these efforts we have overcome very challenging obstacles and Covid-19 cases have plummeted recently (but are still a concern). Infection rates in the West Yorkshire have been amongst the highest nationally for some time and at their peak more than twice as high as rates currently being experienced in the south of England which is in meltdown.

“We are very sympathetic towards our colleagues in the south who are now experiencing similar levels of disruption because adhering to the national guidelines whilst trying to prepare students for exam success is utterly draining - physically, mentally and emotionally.

“Despite getting over the hump and welcoming the fall in infection rates we still have to do everything to protect the health of our community.  As such we were keen to be one of the first group of schools to take part in the rapid lateral flow test pilot. On Tuesday it was announced that this process would be rolled out nationally after Christmas.

“Having early access to these tests has allowed us to rehearse and overcome the significant logistical issues with having to administer this test and accurately collate the results in large numbers.

“We are ready to test all staff and all students on their return from a well earned Christmas break with their families.

“This test will give us the ability to identify asymptomatic infectious people in thirty minutes and then use the tests to reduce the number of students who need to self isolate.

“This has to be an added bonus in trying to operate a more ‘normal’ school experience prior to receiving the vaccine next year.

“Hopefully our wonderful community will be able to enjoy Christmas in a respectful, responsible and safe manner and on behalf of all our staff I would like to wish them a very merry Christmas and a peaceful new year.”

Julia Gray, Vice Principal for Quality and People Services at Calderdale College, said: “It’s important that we all do our bit to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community, so we’re pleased that we’re able to offer regular screening to staff from this week.

“By doing these Lateral Flow Tests twice a week, we can pick up asymptomatic cases and prevent our people from spreading the disease unknowingly.

“It’s been a difficult year for all, and with many students having missed out on essential time in education in the early stages of the pandemic, we want to do everything we can to stay open and provide the best possible environment to work and learn in.

“We will initially start by offering tests to staff, before rolling it out to targeted student groups in the New Year.”

Liz Whetham, head teacher at Holy Trinity Primary School, said: “I think it’s a really good thing that it’s happening in Calderdale schools.

“It’s a sensible, targeted approach where we can get a number of adults tested in a very short space of time, it gives some additional reassurance to those working in schools, we know that children with Covid are often asymptomatic, so we never know whether children may or may not have had Covid and passed it onto the adults, so it’s giving a level of reassurance to staff that if they get it, they’re going to know about it very quickly. It will also reduce transmission rates.

“We have got really effective systems in place for home learning and therefore the likelihood is this testing will increase the number of positive cases in the first instance because of people who are asymptomatic will be picked up.

“So it’s come at a good time. We’ve had a number of bubbles close here and move to home learning, and we’ve ironed out any issues we had, so if we have any more cases, we can continue with the childrens’ home learning.”