education news14 Dec 2021 11:25
Children as young as five will be expected to take a week of Covid tests if they come into close contact with a positive case.
The new national rules come into force today (Tuesday, December 14) and will cover all young people, from reception (for those aged five) right up to sixth form.
The daily lateral flow testing will be for any strain of coronavirus, not just the Omicron variant.
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But there are concerns a shortage of testing kits will create havoc for parents of primary age children in particular. Only secondary students can get these boxes directly through their schools.
The new guidance was revealed in an email to headteachers late on Monday.
The Department for Education said daily testing for coronavirus contacts will ‘help protect education settings by reducing transmission and will also help keep pupils in face-to-face education’.