Return to school and testing

Southend’s Director of Public Health is encouraging parents and carers to get their children tested to support the safe return of all school pupils from Monday 8 March 2021.

Parent putting face mask on child

Krishna Ramkhelawon has urged all school aged pupils and their family to use the Borough's rapid testing sites ahead of the classrooms returning. This is to keep schools safe and protect the wider community from asymptomatic people, those without symptoms, from unknowingly spreading the virus.

Southend is one of the only authorities in the country to have set up a school-only LFD testing site to support schools, which is located at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre in Eastern Avenue. There are also public community LFD testing sites at University Square, Southend, St Aiden’s Church in Leigh-on-Sea and Shoebury Youth Centre in Shoeburyness.

If your child travels into a Southend-on-Sea school but your family lives out of Borough, please check the website of your local authority for community testing sites near to your home before the return to school next week.

Once the schools have reopened to all pupils, schools will be running their own programmes, but the council is supporting them. As part of this, St John Ambulance have kindly agreed to provide four mobile testing sites to use at three secondary schools, to support the school testing programme and keep them Covid-safe.

Community testing staff will run the units, alongside staff from Southend United Community and Educational Trust who will be going to each mobile testing unit, Monday to Friday to marshal and support the children and school.  

There will be a number of ways that children can access tests depending whether they are in secondary or further education and based on which school they attend.

Krishna Ramkhelawon, director of public health, said: “This is important for the safety of the children, the staff, every family and the wider community. Over the last few months we have increased capacity at our asymptomatic testing sites, for people who are continuing to work in the community but are not displaying any of the Covid-19 symptoms, such as a temperature, new continuous cough and loss of taste or smell. As education settings reopen, it is important we try and protect as many people in our community as possible.”

Parents are encouraged to check the website of their child’s education setting for more details.

A letter from Councillor Anne Jones, cabinet member for children and education, was also sent on Friday 26 February to parents via schools, thanking them for their hard work, patience and perseverance with home learning over the past year.

The letter also reminds parents of the steps they can take to help protect their children and families from the spread of the virus. This includes, parents wearing a face mask, if they are able to, when collecting or dropping off at school, respecting social distancing and making sure children do not take non-essential items into school.

Cllr Jones, said: “Our parents have gone above and beyond to make sure their children’s education did not suffer because of the pandemic. It has been a difficult year; for the children, who have been away from their friends and learning environment, and for the parents and carers, who I am sure never expected to have to take on a teaching role.

“I want to thank them and our amazing school staff who have proven to be well prepared for this second education setting closure and have continued to educate children virtually and support families.

“Now it’s time for all children to return to their classroom and we need our parents to continue doing the fabulous job of keeping them safe and well by getting tested, wearing face masks and following the school’s directions.”

We are encouraging all school-aged children to take an asymptomatic test at one of the following sites which are open seven days a week and accessible to all. You can book a test online or simply turn up.

For trusted information about Coronavirus, please visit our further information pages.

This is the letter from Krishna Ramkhelawon, director of public health for Southend-on-Sea, in full:

 

Dear Parents/Carers,

Returning to school and Covid-19 testing for pupils

I am writing to you as your local Director of Public Health to let you know about the increase in Covid-19 testing in the Borough, to support the safe return of all schools from Monday 8 March 2021.

We have been carrying out a programme of community asymptomatic testing (for people not experiencing any symptoms) for many weeks now, which is helping to reduce the risk of people without symptoms, unknowingly spreading the virus to others in the community.

To keep schools safe and protect the wider community, I am encouraging pupils of all ages to get a rapid LFD test before they return to school from next week. I also strongly encourage anyone they live with to also get a test to make sure that anyone who may be infectious does not come to school with the virus and potentially start an outbreak.

If your child attends an education setting in Southend-on-Sea but your family lives outside of the Borough, please visit your relevant local authority website to find out more about their own community testing programme.

Please read the information below and please contact or visit the website of your child’s education setting to find out more about the school testing programme in place from 8 March, which varies across all settings.

Yours faithfully

Krishna Ramkhelawon

Director of Public Health

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council

Book a test at one of our rapid test sites before returning to school on Monday 8 March

We are encouraging all school-aged children to take an asymptomatic test at one of the following sites which are open seven days a week and accessible to all. You can book a test online or simply turn up.

  • University Square, Southend-on-Sea (opposite Sainsbury’s). 7am to 2.30pm, pay and display parking available
  • St Aidan's Church, The Fairway, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 4QW. 7am to 5:30pm, there is limited onsite parking in St. Aidan’s church car park
  • Shoebury Youth Centre (rear sports hall), Delaware Road, Shoeburyness, SS3 9NS. 8am to 6:30pm, parking is available.
  • In addition, a site is also available for school pupils and their families only at Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre, Eastern Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 4FA. This is open from 8am to 8pm, parking is available. Accessibility: there are 10 steps on the exit, if you need ramp access please let the staff know.

Consent:

Children must be over the age of 11 to attend a test site without a parent, outside of a scheduled school slot, and the young person must have proof of parental consent with them, for staff to be able to test them. This can be digital or on paper and will be arranged through the school.

Please do not book or turn up for a test at the rapid LFD sites if:

  • You have any symptoms of Covid-19 (a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or loss or change to your sense of smell or taste)
  • You have has a positive test (LFD or PCR) in the last 90 days
  • You have been in contact with anyone in the last 10 days who has symptoms or tested positive

School testing programme from Monday 8 March

There will be a number of ways for children in further education and secondary schools to access testing, based on which school you attend. Please check your school or education setting’s website for further details and information.

We are also supporting the school testing programme, and as part of this, St John Ambulance has kindly agreed to provide four mobile testing units, which will be placed within the grounds of some schools to help keep them Covid-safe. Community testing staff will run the units, alongside staff from Southend United Community and Educational Trust who will be going to each mobile testing unit, Monday to Friday to marshal and support the children and school.  

Face masks

Research has shown that face masks, when worn correctly over the mouth and nose, play a significant role in reducing the spread of virus’ such as Covid-19.

The DfE is also now also recommending that face coverings are worn by secondary-age pupils in classrooms, only where social distancing cannot be maintained and unless a young person is medically exempt from wearing one. Secondary and college pupils are already required to wear a face covering when moving around school buildings in corridors and communal areas, as well as when travelling to and from school on public transport.

Parents are also asked to wear a face mask, unless they are exempt, when dropping off and picking up their children from an education setting, including school, nursery and childminders.

Published: 3rd March 2021

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