Start of Term, Exam & Lockdown Update

LATEST UPDATE: 5th January 2021

The Department for Education have tonight announced that it is up to individual colleges to decide whether January exams should go ahead.

After careful consideration this evening, the college has decided that the exams scheduled for Wednesday 6th January will go ahead as planned. However, exams due to take place from Thursday 7th January will now be cancelled. We completely understand that this will be disappointing for some students (and teachers and parents/ carers) who have been working towards these exams for some time and who would have preferred to take the exam. On the other hand, it will also be a tremendous relief for other students who were incredibly worried about the risk of attending college and being able to perform at their best, despite the safety arrangements we have put in place.

At this present time, we are unable to confirm what the alternative arrangements will be, but the college leadership team will work tirelessly with the rest of the sector to ensure that we get a fair deal for our students in this regard. After accepting that colleges are able to make this decision, we believe the Department for Education will support a fair, equitable and transparent alternative arrangement in the future. The college therefore believes that the decision we have made is the right one, in the interests of the safety of all our students, staff and their families, despite the inevitable disappointment it will bring to some.

If you have any questions, please speak to your tutor in the first instance. Stay safe.

31st December 2020

Below is our current guidance for those who are returning to their course, starting a new course or taking exams as of January 2021.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR STUDENTS

Week commencing 4^th January:

• Pathways, Gateway, Fast Forward and MAP students should attend in line with their previously agreed timetable for January.
• New adult courses due to take place on campus will have their start date delayed until w/c 18^th January.
• Continuing adult courses (where no exams are scheduled in the first two weeks) will be delivered online until w/c 18^th January. Where this is not possible (eg pottery) classes will be postponed for two weeks and re-arranged wherever possible to take place after 18^th January.
• All other courses (including Higher Education and apprenticeship delivery) will take place online.
• Assessor workplace visits can take place if approved by John Revis.
• A small number of vulnerable students are being contacted directly by the Student Engagement team to arrange on campus access to their online lessons and other support as required.

Week commencing 11^th January:

• Higher Education courses will take place online.
• New adult courses due to take place on campus will have their start date delayed until w/c 18^th January.
• Continuing adult courses (where no exams are scheduled in the first two weeks) will be delivered online until w/c 18^th January. Where this is not possible (eg pottery) classes will be postponed for two weeks and re-arranged wherever possible to take place after 18^th January.
• Assessor workplace visits can take place if approved by John Revis.
• All other courses will take place in line with their previously agreed timetable for January.

Week commencing 18^th January onwards:

• New adult courses delivered on campus can start.
• All courses will run in line with their previously agreed timetable / arrangements.

All college services (canteen, library, student support etc) will be available as they were before Christmas.

Please check this page and our Facebook and Twitter pages for further information.