Secondary school staff and pupils will be able to access free Covid-19 tests in response to outbreaks, the Department for Education has confirmed.

Secondary schools will be able to access free tests when responding to public health advice, particularly in relation to local outbreaks.

Schools were told in an email last night from the DfE that “education testing delivery channels” will remain open so that staff and students of secondary age and above can continue to access tests, if needed, to respond to local public health advice, in particular in relation to outbreaks.

It has been confirmed to Tes that, in these circumstances, the tests will remain free.

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Yesterday, it was revealed that staff and students in mainstream secondary schools will no longer be told to test for Covid twice a week, as prime minister Boris Johnson unveiled plans to remove the remaining coronavirus restrictions in England.

The advice for regular testing will, however, remain for secondary-age students and above in specialist special educational needs or disability settings, alternative provision, and SEND units in mainstream schools, or the equivalent in colleges.

These groups were “encouraged” to test twice a week using lateral flow tests from last month.

As the advice for testing remains in specialist settings, free tests will still be available to order through the usual channels after 1 April.

Generally, other school staff and students will still be able to access tests after 1 April, however, they will have to pay - unless they are accessing tests on public health advice.

The prime minister said last night that, after 1 April, free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing will end for the general public, although the elderly and most vulnerable will still be able to receive free testing.

From this Thursday (24 February), it will no longer be a legal requirement to stay home after a positive Covid test, however, the government will still advise that people do so.