Harrogate High School celebrates successful return for students, thanks to mass testing and community effort

Staff at Harrogate High School have been working flat out, with help from the community, to ensure a successful return for students.
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The school faced an enormous challenge to get mass asymptomatic testing among its students up and running as secondary schools reopened in March.

Within the first two weeks, 1,700 lateral flow device tests were carried out, with 86 per cent of students opting in to the programme. Each pupil who consented undertook three COVID-19 tests, 3-5 days apart.

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This effort would not have been possible without the support of volunteers, including those from Nidderdale Plus Community Hub, who have been providing helpers to support vaccination sites in Harrogate and Ripon in addition to their regular community work.

Harrogate High School celebrates successful return for students, thanks to mass testing and community effortHarrogate High School celebrates successful return for students, thanks to mass testing and community effort
Harrogate High School celebrates successful return for students, thanks to mass testing and community effort
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Jenn Plews, Northern Star Academies Trust Leader, added: “ We are really proud of the outstanding effort, dedication and commitment from our staff, pupils and volunteers to taking part in the programme, and ensuring that we are providing education in the safest possible environment we can.”

Volunteer Andrew Cockroft said: "It was really impressive to see what the school was doing to protect pupils, staff and all their families. We know how challenging it has been for schools during the pandemic and so it was great to have the opportunity to offer some help."

Students who chose to participate in the asymptomatic testing scheme will now move to using home test kits twice a week, which will be distributed through school.

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Households and bubbles of school staff and pupils are now also eligible for twice weekly home asymptomatic testing and information where kits can be obtained from can be found at

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