Setting the Standard for Staff and Student Lateral Flow Testing
Ivybridge Community College is setting the standard with regard to on-site Covid -19 Lateral Flow Tests for its staff and students. The College has even been recognised at government level, being mentioned in the DfE daily email (Wednesday, 20 January 2021) informing educational establishments on the government's response to COVID-19.
An area of the College has been repurposed to become a Lateral Flow Testing facility to enable the College to test all staff and secondary school age students attending on-site educational provision from mid-January.
Please click here to read the press release from Thursday, 21 January, when Ivybridge Community College welcomed Sir Gary Streeter MP, to visit the Lateral Flow Testing Facility which is now operational at the College.
The Regional Schools Commission offered all schools the support from the Army when setting up their Lateral Flow testing stations. The Local Response Team from 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery attended the pilot testing day, which involved 20 testing staff that have all been trained by the College, and the testing of 60 staff.
Staff Sargent Campbell, and his team from the Army, were instrumental in ensuring that the day ran very smoothly, and that both those testing and those being tested had a very positive experience, which has provided enormous confidence in the programme.
The day was used as an opportunity for both parties to discuss ideas and to refine its operation. They also helped ensure that the process and organisation of the centre was fit for purpose in relation to the size and population of the College of approximately 2500 students and 300 staff. More importantly, their knowledge and experience of other schools’ systems, their advice and guidance to our Team Leader was invaluable. Their additional presence provided great comfort to the testing team as a whole, whilst also providing reassurance to those who were being tested.
Under the watchful eye of the College’s Covid Adviser, Jill Chapman, the pilot phase was a great success and the staff involved commented how smoothly the process went. It was a successful day and we thank Staff Sargent Campbell and his team for their visit.
Staff Sargent Campbell confirmed this was the best site he had seen, having visited many others previously, and are keen to use the College as a showcase moving forward.
He said, “The College has set the standard for the area. The staff have been trained to an excellent standard by the College team and they have all the procedures in place. They should be very proud of what they have achieved and we wish them all the best”.
Please follow this link to a gallery of images of the College's Lateral Flow Test Provision.
