Ivanhoe College has closed the doors to its test centre in the school library on Friday - after conducting 4,166 lateral flow tests.

Since the key workers' children and staff returned on January 4, and the whole school returned from March 8, the college is proud to says it has staff and students prepared for home testing.

The college has also had an impressively high level of consent for tests at 96 per cent of the whole student body.

An Ivanhoe College spokeswoman said: "Our students, under the patient guidance of our test assistants, have been supported through any anxieties to ensure that they all can now do a thorough test at home.

"There have been no complaints, they have all dutifully got on with the job in hand and it is safe to say they have really done us proud.

"Our support staff working in the centre have stepped far from their usual comfort zones.

"A mix of admin, premises, classroom support and librarians, they have ensured the smooth running of the testing and recording, as well as maintaining a fantastic level of teamwork and camaraderie.

"One of the staff has written this fantastic poem (below) which we feels sums up how we all feel now that the mass testing centre has closed its doors.

"We are sure there will still be tests to do in school, and there is still the huge task of getting the home test kits out to students and staff for home testing, but for now we are giving ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done."

Ode to The Testing Team – By Sharon Smith

To the testing team at Ivanhoe

Our testing role is done

We've all worked hard and all been fab

And 'Yes' we've had some fun

We've tested thousands, students, staff

Explained just what to do

3 times each side then up your nose

Is what we've all been through

Some have gagged, had snotty noses

Some have just been sneezy

But we've managed well without a fuss

Despite some of us feeling queasy

There were busy days and slow days

But I hope that you'll all agree

One of the best days we had

Was the visit from ITV

The chocolate box is empty

No more PPE to throw away

No more getting out more test kits

Setting up for the next day

The staplers quiet, the barcodes gone

The blue doors firmly shut

I'll miss the banter and dodgy dancing

Cashier number 6 your time is up

But seriously , we've done a job

An important one at that

Kept school safe during Covid times

So the students can come back

So back to our normal jobs we go

Thank you it's been a blast

But life goes on

And maybe some normality at last.