Thank you to all of the students, staff and volunteers at Newbury College and University Centre Newbury, who have completed more than 1,000 ‘rapid’ COVID-19 tests as we return to on-site working and learning.
Following government guidance, we are returning to on-site learning for some classes. To enable this to happen safely, we converted our Sports Hall into a dedicated testing facility, with an army of staff and volunteers to guide and support those taking the tests.
The majority of students and staff have been working and learning from home, following the government-mandated ‘stay at home’ order that was put into place earlier this year. Those returning to the campus started testing last Monday, at least 24 hours before returning to the classroom, to ensure the high standards of safety we have implemented continue to be maintained.
Director of Human Resources, Cathy Wright, said: “I would like to thank all of the staff and volunteers who have made this project work so well. The complexity of preparing for a return to on-site learning has been almost overwhelming; however, through the hard work and dedication of our talented team, we are ensuring that every member of the College community has the appropriate support to return safely.”
Principal, Iain Wolloff, said: “I have been extremely impressed by the positive attitude of our staff and students for their proactive response to this ever-changing situation. We are also very proud of our young people, who have shown a great deal of maturity in their response to some very difficult challenges and their willingness to support us in keeping them and others safe.”
We now move on to home testing, to ensure that we can continue to work and learn in a safe environment. Students will receive their home testing kits after their final on-site test this week, while staff can collect their kits from Reception. If you have not received a home testing kit, please speak to your tutor.
We will also continue to offer a blended learning approach for the foreseeable future, combining online learning with COVID-secure, on-site practical sessions. For more information on our response to COVID-19 and how we are keeping students safe, please visit newbury-college.ac.uk/safe