Testing Schedule for 4th January 2022

14th December 2021

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are writing to you today with further details about the January Covid testing programme for all students. The government is very clear that with a new variant in circulation we must use all of the tools available to us to combat the transmission of COVID-19. These tools range from vaccination, symptomatic testing, improving medicines, self-isolation regulations and non pharmaceutical interventions like hands-face-space. Asymptomatic testing is a further and critical tool to help mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 and it will help us to:

• identify and help to prevent staff, students and pupils without symptoms from transmitting and spreading the virus unknowingly. 
• operate as safely as possible by self-isolating those that are the most contagious as soon as is practical. 

Asymptomatic testing is done via simple and quick tests, known as Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests. They enable us to rapidly test students and staff, without the need for a laboratory. No test is 100% accurate, but the LFD, when done as part of a testing regime, is very good at picking up those with high viral loads (i.e. those that are the most contagious). Please see the link here for further details about the LFD tests sent to all parents previously.

All schools are required to complete a LFD per student prior to their return to school on 5th January 2022 and we are therefore asking all students to come into school on Tuesday 4th January 2022 at the times stated below to complete a test.  This is so students have undertaken testing in a supervised setting, and refamiliarise themselves with the self-swabbing process.  Whilst in school, students will be given home testing kits to continue regularly testing at home and reduce the need for further disruption to learning. 

Students will be required to wear a mask when they arrive on the school site. They will come in for their test only and then go straight home, to avoid any transmission.  We will only inform parents of a positive test result, please assume your child’s test is negative unless contacted. Please see below for the testing schedule.

Year Group                                    Testing Time

Siblings in different year groups, please arrive together during either testing session.

Years 7 and 8                                  9am – 10.30am

Years 9, 10 and 11                         10.30am – 12.00 noon

6th form                                          Testing at home. Packs will have been handed out prior to the Christmas holidays.

If your child was not included in the previous rounds of testing then we will require consent forms to be completed. These can be completed electronically by following this link, (which is recommended), or paper copies can be printed off and brought in when students attend their appointment. We will not be able to conduct tests without consent, and we would really rather not have to send students away, so your help with this is much appreciated. Here is a link  to our privacy notice (which can also be found on the website) that explains how personal data we collect is processed.

Arrival and travel to school 

Students can arrive throughout the testing window, to help avoid unnecessary queuing. They should come directly to the Sports Hall where they will be directed through a one way system and registration process.

We encourage all students to walk or cycle to school if at all possible. This is by far the healthiest travel option. Should students need to travel by public transport they will need to follow the government guidelines about wearing face masks. We ask that if a parent or carer is bringing their child to school they remain in their cars. Both gates (north and south) will be opened for students to get on and off site within a set period of time.

We know that there is a great deal of information here and appreciate that you may have questions or queries. Please contact the school by email on enquiries@biddenham.beds.sch.uk or call us on 01234 342521 and we will aim to answer your queries as swiftly as possible.

Many thanks, as ever, for your support and patience.  We look forward to the 5th January when we welcome all students back to school.

Warm regards

Mr D Bailey                                         Ms E Grylls

Principal                                              Head of School