STUDENTS in South East Cornwall will have a staggered return to school in the New Year, after the Government announced that all students would be tested for the coronavirus in the first part of term.

Heads and senior leaders were thrown into a flurry of last-minute preparations on the final day of term today as they were informed that schools would be responsible for carrying out the lateral flow testing of youngsters.

In January, schools will be expected to combine online and in-person teaching as well as providing educare. Some students are set to begin mock and actual exams in the beginning of January, which has made catering for a staggered start even more complicated.

A joint statement from teachers’ unions and the National Governance Association, which represents school governors, said schools should not feel under pressure to carry out the testing, if it is not a realistic possibility in the time available.

The statement was also signed by the Association of Colleges and the Church of England education service. It said the testing plans have been "chaotic and rushed" - but they are an "offer" of testing and not a requirement, so schools should not feel compelled to comply.

The General Secretary of the ASCL head teachers’ union Geoff Barton was more forthright in his comment and said the scheme was "undeliverable" in the timescale set out.

"It is beyond belief that they were landed on school and college leaders in such a cack-handed manner," he said.

"It is not possible to recruit and train all the people needed to carry out tests, and put in place the processes that would be necessary, over the Christmas period."

More than one headteacher reported having learned of the plans via the BBC News app.

As the last day of term drew to a close today, heads in South East Cornwall had been pencilling in a timetable for the first week back.

Liskeard School and Community College head Alex Lingard said he had spent the day in meetings and webinars with the Cornwall Association of Headteachers, attended by Cornwall Council’s Public Health team, who were in consultation with Public Health England.

“I have drafted out a letter to go out to parents on Monday, but we are still waiting for further details, especially regarding the option of testing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Looe headteacher Scott Yalden said that he and his staff would be taking the first Monday as a ‘logistics planning day’.

Writing to parents he said: “Today, the last day of term, I am not in receipt of the full detail of the expectations placed upon us as an academy, however, if this last few months has taught us anything, it is that we have a fantastic team and will rise to the occasion for the benefit of the community we serve.

“To ensure that we start next term in an orderly manner, Monday 4 January 2021 will be a Logistics Planning Day and therefore will be closed to students on this day. I apologise in advance for this inconvenience. Further guidance is expected over the Christmas period from the government but as you will appreciate we now have no working days remaining of this term to act on or plan for these requirements.”

Year 11 students at Looe will attend as normal from Tuesday January 5, with the arrangement as it stands at the moment being that other year groups do their learning online at home for the first week.Devonport High School for Boys head Dan Roberts said that he welcomed the rollout of testing and any measure that would reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, but that the problem "as always, was the timing".The school was "angered and frustrated", he said, by being left to make plans at this late stage, which he felt would inevitably mean the testing would not be up and running in the very first week back.