Pupils and families urged to play their part by taking regular Covid tests
Secondary school pupils and their families are being urged to play their part by consenting to Covid-19 testing to prevent further outbreaks.
Mass testing for coronavirus allows schools to identify if a child is positive for coronavirus, or if they have a common cough, cold or flu.
Catherine Driscoll, director of children’s services at Dudley Council, said: “We urge all secondary school pupils to undertake lateral flow tests and report their results as this helps track the virus and prevent its spread.
"In the case of a pupil receiving a positive lateral flow result or showing symptoms of coronavirus, they would be asked to self-isolate along with everyone in their bubble and household as per government guidelines.”
Lisa McNally, Sandwell Council's director of public health, said that although the vast majority of people are engaging with testing, councils cannot afford to 'take a risk' if a child with symptoms does not consent to testing.
In these cases, schools and local authorities work directly with Public Health England and conduct a risk assessment in order to prevent infection.
Dr McNally, added: "We can't simply assume the child doesn't have Covid-19 if they do not get tested, this causes an unnecessary risk of a large outbreak.
"We liaise with Public Health England and look at the context, then we may need to assume they are positive.
"Not isolating could risk a large outbreak as seen elsewhere in the Midlands.
"The consequences of this could be potentially fatal and we cannot afford to take a risk."
Levels of consent to Covid-19 testing varies between each school.
Chris King, chief executive of the Severn Academies Education Trust, which includes Baxter College in Kidderminster and The Stourport High School and Sixth Form College, said more than 90 per cent of families have signed up to lateral flow tests.
Mr King described these tests as a 'key control measure' to minimise the spread of the virus.
A Wolverhampton Council spokesman said: "If a pupil, or parent, refused to consent when they have symptoms, they and their household would be required to isolate for 10 days."
A survey conducted by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), which works with more than 21,000 school and college leaders nationally, found more than half of secondary head teachers had faced difficulties getting parental approval.
A total of 52 per cent of respondents indicated that gaining parental consent has been a difficulty for schools since pupils returned to face-to-face teaching.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of ASCL said that this is due to 'misinformation.'
Government guidance states all students in secondary schools and colleges are expected to complete three rapid tests on their return, spaced three to five days apart, then further tests twice a week.
Rapid tests, or lateral flow device (LFD) tests, are used for people with no symptoms. They are swab tests that give results in 30 minutes or less, without the need for processing in a laboratory.
PCR tests, for those with symptoms, are swab tests that are processed in a laboratory.
Staff in school settings are also being advised to be tested at least twice per week.
