These are:
1. A Staggered Start to Term
The Government is asking Colleges to arrange for a staggered start at the beginning of the Spring term, ensuring that only students that need to be on campus that week are on site.
Therefore, to support this, for the week of the 4th January most learners will be switched to remote teaching unless notified otherwise as a priority group.
Learners being given priority access on site from the 4th of January are those with Exams, learners with EHC Plans and recruits for the NHS Vaccine Programme.
Central communications are being issued to all of our learners today and will be supported with any further updates that are required before the start of next term. In addition, our website and social media channels will also be updated as needed, to support the communication process.
2. New Mass Testing in Schools and Colleges
The Government are also introducing a new testing regime aimed at reducing the asymptotic transfer of the Covid19 virus.
Current guidance on what this will mean in practice is limited and we await further information. It has been announced that from the beginning of January colleges will be provided with testing kits, guidance, and training in order to support the introduction of a testing programme. This will the lateral flow test with a 30 minute result and no necessity for laboratory processing.
Testing is proposed under the guidance to be available to all staff and learners on a weekly basis. Tests are voluntary but strongly encouraged, and the College’s position will be that all staff and students should engage with the testing regime, to help stop the spread of the virus.
It is also proposed in the guidance that for any close contacts, daily testing will be available, eliminating the need for those in close contact with a confirmed case to self-isolate, unless they themselves test positive.
We will communicate any additional details regarding this once further guidance and information is available.
We appreciate this is a constantly changing situation that we find ourselves in, but together we will work as hard as we can to ensure that we continue to support our learners and our staff through this unusual period in which we are operating.
We would like to thank in advance all staff, students, families, and local stakeholder partners who will join with us in playing our part help control and stop the spread of the virus in our area.
Dr Sam Parrett OBE
CEO and Group Principal