Testing Letter to Parents and Carers October 2021
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11th October 2021
Dear Parents and Carers,
We know how important it is for you to be able to send your child to school. At Biddenham we are taking a number of measures to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus, including:
- Encouraging all staff to test regularly, to minimise the risk of our teachers giving your child or other children Covid;
- Ensuring our staff and children practice good hygiene;
- Making sure our spaces are well ventilated; and;
- Encouraging all members of our community to isolate and book a PCR test should they develop symptoms of the virus.
We are also asking all students to test regularly and to report each result
Up to one in three people who have COVID-19 can spread the virus without knowing. This is because they have no symptoms. We are therefore asking students to take two tests each week on Sunday evening or Monday morning (not both) and Wednesday evening or Thursday morning (not both) to help us to keep Biddenham open.
This letter has gone out to all parents of students at Biddenham asking them to ensure their child is testing regularly and reporting each result.
Your child will be able to collect home test kits from their tutor group and bring them home with them – each week. Please ask your child if they have received these and help them to take the test and report their results. Testing is free of charge.
The tests will come with guidance in multiple languages on how to take the test. You can also see this useful video to show you how to take the test – tests usually take a few minutes to do and you get the results in 30 minutes. There is also a useful guide here, an easy read guide here and a 4 step poster here. More help and support is available, including instructions in different languages on how to test and report the results. Then all you need to do is to report the result to:
- NHS Test and Trace: https://www.gov.uk/report-covid19-result. This is for all test results: negative, void and positive.
Please inform the school of any positive test results by calling 01234 342521 or by email at enquiries@biddenham.beds.sch.uk including your child’s name and year group.
Financial support is available if your child tests positive and you need to self-isolate
If you are unable to work due to your child having, or displaying symptoms of, COVID-19, you may be entitled to a one-off payment of £500 through the NHS Test and Trace Support Payment scheme if you are required to stay at home and self-isolate. You will be eligible if you live in England and meet all the following criteria:
- you have been asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, including by the NHS COVID-19 app
- you are employed or self-employed
- you cannot work from home and will lose income as a result
- you are claiming at least one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credits
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit or Housing Benefit
By students testing on Sunday evening or Monday morning and Wednesday evening or Thursday morning it will help us to reduce transmission of Coronavirus, keep your child in school and keep Biddenham open to minimise disruption to your child’s education and to you and your household.
Please contact the school on 01234 342521 or email enquiries@biddenham.beds.sch.uk, if you have any questions or concerns about home testing.
Thank you for your support,
Mr D Bailey Ms E Grylls
Principal Head of School
RP166.0 Letter to secondary school parents – Education and Health Secretary
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