Teachers and students have been told to continue carrying out rapid Covid tests over the Easter holidays and will also need to take a test before returning for the summer term.
An email sent to schools today from the Department for Education says that is it vital for staff and students to continue testing in the holidays.
It says all those who are able to should test twice a week and report results - negative, positive or void - online.
The government has told schools that this information is “critical in helping us to understand the prevalence of the virus across the country.”
Return: Secondary students to be tested three times as schools fully reopen
Easter break: Schools told to continue contact tracing
Pause: Daily testing of close contacts of Covid cases put on hold over concerns about the risk involved
The DfE has also said that staff and students need to test before returning to school or college for the summer term, either the night before, or the morning of, the first day back, to find and isolate any positive cases.
More Covid test kits being sent to schools
The email says that further deliveries of self-test kits for secondary schools and further education (FE) colleges will arrive this week, which should include enough kits to last over the Easter holiday.
With schools reopening to all pupils on 8 March, secondary students were expected to be tested three times on-site on their return.
Twice weekly at-home testing was introduced for secondary students, with schools told to retain a small testing site for those who find it difficult to test at home.
Primary and secondary school staff have also been home testing twice a week.
The DfE has asked schools to continue with contact tracing during the Easter break, as they were required to do during the Christmas holiday.
School staff have been asked to assist in identifying close contacts and advising self-isolation if a student or staff member develops symptoms within 48 hours of being in an education setting.
Staff will need to be available for contact tracing duties for the first six days of the Easter holidays, after which positive cases should be dealt with through NHS Test and Trace, according to an email sent to headteachers earlier this month.
