The key focus as schools reopen is safety. Here are the most important points to remember:
Testing before returning to school
Secondary pupils should restart regular testing the week before they return to school. Ideally, they should take a test 3-4 days the week before they return to school, and another test either the night before or on the morning of their return to school. Testing can help reduce the risks of COVID-19 outbreaks in schools, which also helps reduce the likelihood that children and staff will have to self-isolate due to outbreaks.
Testing kits
If parents or pupils haven’t already been provided with kits by their schools, they can be accessed in a range of different ways to support testing before returning to school.
For information on accessing test kits, parents should visit: gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested.
Frequency of testing
Once they are back at school, it’s important that all secondary school pupils test themselves twice a week and report the results online even if they are negative or void.
Self-isolation - changes to guidance
The rules on self-isolation have been updated for close contacts so fewer young people will need to self-isolate, and when they do it will likely be for a shorter time – butthat means it’s even more important that pupils self-test and follow the guidance on
face coverings.
Under the new rules, Test and Protect will advise any children or young people who have been identified as close contacts of a positive confirmed Covid case to stay at home until they have a negative PCR test result. Pupils with Covid symptoms, or who have tested
positive, should self-isolate at home immediately and follow the guidance on self-isolation for those circumstances. Further information can be found at NHS Inform
Face coverings
Parents should also be reminded that while at school, pupils should wear face coverings and follow school guidance on distancing.
For more information see ParentClub.scot
