Scarborough College takes part in trial that stops pupils self-isolating
Scarborough College is taking part in a clinical trial that will stop pupils having to isolate at home.
Scarborough College is taking part in a clinical trial that will stop pupils having to isolate at home.
It is among the first schools in the country to do the pilot until the end of May, as its students return from their Easter holidays today.
It means close contacts of positive cases can remain at Scarborough College rather than an entire bubble being sent home.
Headmaster, Guy Emmett, said:
"So if there's a pupil that tests positive in the past pupils would be force to isolate for 10 days, and we're taking part in a trial which means pupils can be tested for seven days consecutively and this will enable them to come into school each day.
"Once this trial is successful and I'm very hopeful that it will be that it will move to other schools across the country, and the days of children having to isolate at home for 10 days should be over.
"Parents don't have to opt-in to having these tests for seven days and they can opt-in to have the 10 days of isolation if someone tests positive for Covid-19, but this prevents disruption and we've all suffered that in our school and it does affect their education.
"This pilot scheme is thinking about everybody within the school - teachers, all staff and pupils. A big concern for schools has been absentees among staff and I know some schools that have even had to close due to the amount of staff that have been off, so this will prevent that.
"I feel an immense sense of relief that as shops and towns centres open up and down the country, and we can see it in Scarborough, is that we start the summer term knowing that in our senior schools that the bubbles would not have to be closed and members of staff wouldn't have to be sent home in groups."