18 December 2020
Dear students, parents and employers
I hope that you are well and looking forward to some time off over the Christmas break.
As I’m sure you have heard, some significant new approaches to dealing with the pandemic in schools and colleges have been announced by the Government in the last two days. We have been considering the implications of these announcements carefully, including the very latest guidance which was issued late yesterday evening. There is a lot to sort out and, therefore, we will provide further updates as more information becomes available.
At the moment some of the key points are:
- Testing - the Government would like secondary schools and colleges to carry out Covid-19 testing for all young people and all staff when we return for the new term. The testing takes the same approach as that used recently in universities (known as ‘lateral flow tests’). The tests are voluntary, so students and staff do not have to take them if they do not wish to do so. We will be working out our plans over the next couple of weeks and will confirm the arrangements as soon as they are finalised.
- Start of term – the Government has announced that secondary schools and colleges can plan a ‘staggered start’ to the new term. For us, the guidance says that we should prioritise on-site learning for young people who are taking assessments this year and for vulnerable young people. Again, we will need to work out the full details over the next few days. However, to achieve an organised start to the Spring term, we have agreed that the first day of term (4th January 2021) will be an online learning day for all students. Therefore, students will not attend the College on that day but will continue with their online learning. Your teachers will be in touch on that day to ensure you know what you will need to do.
I am sorry that it isn’t possible to confirm all our plans today in response to the new requirements, but I’m sure you will understand that more time is needed to work out the best approach in these challenging circumstances.
Therefore, please do ensure that you look at the College website over the holiday period, where we will provide updates.
Wishing you a restful Christmas break and looking forward to a positive New Year.
Iain Wolloff
Principal