Headteachers have said secondary schools carrying out coronavirus testing “inevitably” means that pupils will face staggered starts at the beginning of the autumn term.

Government guidance states that students in secondary schools and colleges should be tested twice on site on return in the autumn term, with tests carried out between three and five days apart.

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This has prompted reports that lessons in secondary schools across the country will not start until the second week of term. 

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders said the testing “inevitably” meant there would be some delayed starts.

“The difference between where we were at the end of the summer term, with face masks and bubbles in place, and where we are now will need explaining to parents - parents will need reassuring,” he said.

“The expectation that schools will need lateral flow tests inevitably means the first six days will see staggered starts for some young people,” he added.

Mr Barton said that schools and colleges had been asked to contact their local public health official when they met the threshold to take “extra action” to combat transmission rates.

The threshold for mainstream secondary schools is either where five pupils, students or staff who are likely to have mixed closely test positive for Covid-19 within a 10-day period, or where 10 per cent of pupils, students or staff who are likely to have mixed closely test positive for Covid-19 within a 10-day period.

Mr Barton said that “even if the message is about getting back to normal”, schools had been told to liaise with local public health officials when they met the threshold and that this could cause further disruption.

“If FE colleges and big schools are being asked to put in bubbles overnight, that’s a timetabling issue. That’s got big timetabling implications,” he told Tes.

“You can do all of that but you do need some time.

“If local public health officials say we need new measures, it’s complicated to know who has mixed with whom.”

He added that schools were no longer expected to monitor this, as the responsibility for tracing pupil contacts has been handed over to public health officials from the start of this term, but added “if you’re not expecting us to do that, is there that granular knowledge in place?”

Mr Barton said that he welcomed the government’s commitment to providing carbon dioxide monitors to schools over the autumn term but added: “Carbon dioxide monitors don’t sort out ventilation problems, they just tell you that you have one.” 

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Schools are simply following government guidance here. The government has once again asked secondary schools to effectively transform themselves into Covid testing centres ahead of the new school term.

“The reality is that there is very little in the way of meaningful support being provided for these schools and so most are having to re-deploy existing staff to oversee these complex arrangements at the start of term.

“This is a public health task, and we have repeatedly called on the government to do more to provide public health staff to implement on-site testing.

“The government’s guidance has always stated that schools can stagger the return of pupils across the first week to manage this. Staff in these schools will be working as hard and quickly as they can to ensure all pupils receive both tests the government says they should have prior to returning.”

A Department for Education spokesman said: “Our priority is to ensure settings are able to deliver high-quality, face-to-face education to all pupils.

“As our guidance stated in June, and to ensure all pupils receive the education they deserve with minimal disruption, settings may commence testing from three working days before the start of term and can stagger the return of pupils across the first week to manage this process.”