The Flagpole

Princethorpe College’s Asymptomatic Test Centre (ATC), offering lateral flow tests, is up and running and has tested its first volunteers. 

Back before Christmas the Government confirmed that they would be building on the success of testing pilots in educational settings and rolling out rapid lateral flow coronavirus testing in secondary schools.

Lateral flow devices do not require a laboratory to process the test, instead the processing of these tests is conducted at the testing site by trained personnel with the results often received within an hour.

Over the Christmas break the College has been preparing to offer the tests, setting up the test site and training staff to run it, and the test kits were delivered to the school at the beginning of the week.

Despite the subsequent national lockdown, and the requirement for all pupils to stay at home, the ATC remains a critical tool in keeping pupils and staff safe, both now in terms of the key worker provision but also when we eventually get the go ahead to return to school.

Around 20 members of staff volunteered to test the new centre when it opened its doors at 2.00pm on Wednesday including Headmaster, Ed Hester and on Thursday the children attending Key School with consent were also tested.

Mrs Sharpe has recorded a video to explain how the ATC at Princethorpe is running, which we hope will reassure parents and pupils alike. Click here to watch the video.

We now have consent for a large proportion of the pupils, if you have yet to grant consent for or on behalf of your child (if over 16) please click here for the consent form.

A huge thank you to all involved in getting the ATC up and running.