16 March 2021
16th March 2021
Dear Parent/Carer,
Up to one in three people who have COVID-19 can spread the virus without knowing. This is because they have no symptoms. To reduce the spread of the virus, we need to identify those individuals. We can do this in schools and colleges by carrying out tests at home twice every week. You can find out more about this on GOV.UK .
This does not replace symptomatic testing. If you have symptoms, you should self- isolate immediately, book a PCR test and follow national guidelines.
Why take part?
Taking part in testing is voluntary and all students will be able to attend school/college whether they take part in testing or not.
I am strongly encouraging all students to take part. Testing at home will allow your child and other students to attend school/college as safely as possible.
Testing students at home
Tests are free of charge. Students will receive a pack of 3 tests in a box with a leaflet on how to take the test and report the results.
When to take the test
Tests should be taken at home twice every week, 3-4 days apart. Make sure there is enough time to do the test before going to school. Preferably this would be in the morning before going into school, or the evening before school.
We would like students to take their tests on a Wednesday and Sunday evening, if possible.
How to take the test
We will give students a leaflet with instructions on how to do the test with the kit. There is also a useful video to show you how to take the test here.
There is no need to keep used test equipment after the test result has been reported. You can put it in your normal bin (household waste).
What should you do after the test?
You need to report test results to the school and to the NHS for every test that is taken.
|
Test result |
What to do next |
|
Negative |
1. Report your result to the school – link to report result to the school 2. Report your result to the NHS – link to report result to the NHS 3. Wait 3-4 days and take another test |
|
Positive |
1. Your household, any support bubbles you are part of should self-isolate immediately in line with NHS Test and Trace guidance for 10 days. 2. Report your result to the school – link to report result to the school 3. Report your result to the NHS – link to report result to the NHS 4. You should order a confirmatory PCR test if you are testing at home. |
|
Void |
1. Report your result to the school – link to report result to the school 2. Report your result to the NHS – link to report result to the NHS 3. Take another test 4. If you receive 2 void results in a row you should book a PCR test |
Important information
A negative result does not guarantee that you are not carrying the virus. So, you should continue to follow social distancing, and other measures to reduce transmission such as wearing a face mask and regularly washing your hands and observing social distancing.
If you or anyone in your household gets symptoms of the virus you should follow national guidelines on self-isolation and testing.
Please contact school if you have any questions or concerns about home testing.
Thank you for your support.
Dr J Coughlan
Principal
Some frequently asked questions
Do I need to give consent?
Students and parents do not give written consent to take part in the home testing programme. Please read the information below on how personal information and test results are shared and the privacy notice here-
Once you open the kit you should take and report the results of the tests to NHS Test & Trace and school/college, regardless of the result (positive, negative, or void).
Can my child take the test themselves?
Students aged 18 and over should do the test themselves and report the result, with help if they need it.
Students aged 12-17 should do the test themselves with adult supervision. The adult may help the [pupil/student] to take the test if they need support.
Students aged 11 must be tested by an adult and the adult must report the result.
Reporting problems or issues with testing
If there is an issue with the test kit, for example something is missing, please report it by calling 119 and please also tell the school/college.
If an accident or injury happens whilst using the test kit, please seek medical care by calling 111 (or 999 if it is an emergency). Please also report what happened using this website: https://coronavirus-yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/
What type of tests will be used?
We will be sending home Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests. They are a fast and simple way to test people who do not have symptoms of COVID-19, but who may still be spreading the virus.
The tests are easy to use and give results in 30 minutes.
Further information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-lateral-flow-antigen-testing-for-people-without-symptoms
Are LFD tests accurate?
Lateral Flow Devices identify people who are likely to be infectious. These individuals tend to spread the virus to many people and so identifying them through this test is important.
These tests have been widely and successfully used to detect COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals and are approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The speed and convenience of the tests supports the detection of the virus in asymptomatic individuals, who would not otherwise have got tested.
The tests are highly specific, with low chance of false positives. They are also very sensitive and are able to identify the majority of the most infectious yet asymptomatic individuals. Extensive evaluation has been carried out on the tests and it shows that they are both accurate and sensitive enough to be used in the community for screening and surveillance purposes.
It is important to remember that these tests are only an aid to help stop the spread of the virus and you should continue to follow other guidance such as on wearing face coverings and social distancing.
How are LFD tests different to PCR tests?
There are 2 main types of test to check if you have coronavirus:
- polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests check for the genetic material (RNA) of the virus in the sample - you send the sample for processing at a lab
- lateral flow device (LFD) tests detect proteins called ‘antigens’ produced by the virus
LFD tests give rapid results, in 30 minutes after taking the test.
What does it mean if my child has a positive result?
If your child has a positive antigen LFD test result they, their household and any support bubbles they are part of should self-isolate immediately in line with NHS Test and Trace guidance for 10 days. You need to report your result to both NHS Test & Trace and your school/college.
You should order a confirmatory PCR test if you are testing at home (confirmatory PCR tests are not needed if the test was conducted at the Asymptomatic Test Site at school/college).
You can book a test here.
What does it mean if my child has a negative result?
A negative result does not guarantee that your child is not carrying the virus. So, you should continue to follow social distancing, and other measures to reduce transmission such as wearing a face mask and regularly washing your hands.
What if my child has a void result?
If the result of the test is unclear (void), they should take another one. If the next test is also void, your child should take a PCR test. You can book a test here.
All test results need to be reported to both NHS Test & Trace and school/college.
Do I need to send the test to a lab?
No. The LFDs supplied do not need to be sent to a laboratory to get a result and can give a quick result in around 30 minutes. Guidance on self-testing is contained in the ‘Instructions for Use’ leaflet, which comes with the test kit. There is also a useful video to show you how to take the test here.
How do you report the result?
You need to report all results using this service. You also need to tell the school the test result. You will receive a text or email from NHS Test & Trace confirming that you have reported your test result.
All test results need to be reported to both NHS Test & Trace and school/college.
Can I or someone else in my household use a test kit sent home from school?
No, however whole families and households with primary school, secondary school, and college age children, including childcare and support bubbles, will be able to test themselves twice every week from home. This testing can be accessed through the following channels:
- get a rapid test at work, through workplace testing. Ask your employer for more information
- attend a test site to get tested where you will be able to see how to take the test or pick up tests to do at home (you can find your nearest test site via the postcode checker www.gov.uk/find-covid-19-lateral-flow-test-site or check your local council website)
- collect tests to do at home, find your nearest collection site COVID Test Finder (test-and-trace.nhs.uk)
If these options are not possible, there will be a supply of rapid tests for order online for people who need them the most. More information can be found on www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests
There is more information available about testing for households and bubbles of students.
How will personal information and test results be shared?
When your child takes a Lateral Flow test, you need to report the result. This is so that their test result can be traced, which means that you need to share some information about your child.
You need to tell the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC):
- your child’s name
- your child’s test result
- the reference number on the test Kit
You will also need to tell your child’s school or college their test result.
Under UK law, your child’s school or college can collect and store test result data because it is in the ‘public interest’. This means that your child’s data helps us to stop the spread of the virus, and to keep your children in school. For example, we will tell your child to self-isolate if they get a positive test result.
Schools and colleges will only share information with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) if the test kits used are found to be faulty. If this happens, DHSC will use our information to contact people who used the faulty tests, so that they can be tested again. This will ensure that testing is accurate and helps keep us all safe.
When you report test results online, you are sharing information with DHSC. They may share the information with your GP, local government, NHS, and Public Health England. This is so that they can offer your family health services and guidance if your child needs to self-isolate. They might also use your child’s data anonymously (without their name or contact information) to research COVID-19, and improve our understanding of the virus.
For more information on how personal data is used for testing please see the detailed privacy notice here-
Bishop Challoner Catholic College-
COVID-19 Testing of Staff in Secondary Schools and Colleges Privacy Statement
Ownership of the Personal Data
To enable the Covid-19 testing to be completed at Bishop Challoner Catholic College, we need to process personal data, including the sharing of personal data where this is allowed under data protection legislation. Bishop Challoner Catholic College is the Data Controller for the data required for the management of tests and implementing local arrangements in the event of a positive test.
We will process personal data relating to staff under article 6.1(f) of the UK GDPR – it is necessary in the legitimate interest of the data controller. We will process special category personal data under the provisions of article 9.2(i) of the UK GDPR, and Part 1 of Schedule 1(3) of DPA 2018 where it is in the public interest on Public Health Grounds to ensure we can minimise the spread of COVID in a timely manner and enable us to continue to deliver education services as safely and securely as possible. This data is processed under the obligations set out in Public Health legislation (Regulations 3(1) and (4) of the Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002 (COPI)) which allows the sharing of data for COVID related purposes and where it is carried out by a health care professional OR someone who owes an equivalent duty of confidentiality to that data.
Ownership of the Personal Data you share with DHSC
Every time you use a lateral flow test you must report the results. More details can be found here - Report a COVID-19 test result - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is the data controller for the information that you transfer to them about you and your test results. For more information about what the DHSC do with your data please see their COVID-19 Privacy Notice
Bishop Challoner Catholic College remains the Data Controller for the data we retain about you for the management of tests and implementing local arrangements in the event of a positive test.
You should read both this Privacy Notice and the DHSC COVID-19 Privacy Notice to understand how your personal data is used prior to taking a test.
Personal Data involved
The following personal data is processed by Bishop Challoner Catholic College in relation to your test:
- Name
- Unique code assigned to each individual test and which will become the primary reference number for the tests.
- Test result
For more information about what the DHSC do with your data please see their COVID-19 Privacy Notice
How we store your personal information
Bishop Challoner Catholic College will maintain a test kit log which will record against your name details of the testing kit which has been provided to you. Bishop Challoner Catholic College may also record Personal Data about you in its internal COVID-19 test register (the school/college’s COVID-19 test register will not be shared with DHSC). This information will only be stored securely on locally managed systems with appropriate access controls in [schools/colleges] and will only be accessible to personnel involved in the management of tests and implementing local arrangements in the event of a positive test.
Bishop Challoner Catholic College will retain its test kit log and COVID-19 test register for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of the last entries made by Bishop Challoner Catholic College into them.
For more information about what the DHSC do with your data please see their COVID-19 Privacy Notice
Processing of Personal Data Relating to Positive test results
We will use this information to enact our own COVID isolation and control processes without telling anyone who it is that has received the positive test.
For more information about what the DHSC do with your data please see their COVID-19 Privacy Notice
This information will be kept by Bishop Challoner Catholic College for a period of twelve (12) months and by the NHS for eight (8) years.
Processing of Personal Data Relating to Negative and Void test results
We will record a negative and void result for the purpose of stock controls of tests and general performance of the testing process.
Data Sharing Partners
The personal data associated with test results will be shared with
- DHSC, NHS, PHE – to ensure that they can undertake the necessary Test and Trace activities and to conduct research and compile statistical information about Coronavirus.
- Your GP – the NHS may share the information you provide with your GP to maintain your medical records and to offer support and guidance as necessary. Any data you provide to Bishop Challoner Catholic College will not be shared with your GP.
- Local Government to undertake local public health duties and to record and analyse local spreads.
Personal Data in the [school/college’s] test kit log will be shared with DHSC to identify which test kit has been given to which individual in the event of a product recall. Catholic College will not share its internal COVID-19 results register with DHSC.
Your Rights
Under data protection law, you have rights including:
Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to object to processing - You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.
You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.
Please contact us at [insert email address, phone number and or postal address of school’s DPO] if you wish to make a request.
How to complain
If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at [Insert your organisation’s contact details for data protection queries].
You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.
The ICO’s address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
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