Guidance on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

At Reaseheath we take the health and welfare of our students and staff very seriously and we are continuing to follow government guidance to help contain the virus.

You may be aware the Government has recently announced that schools, colleges and universities offering practical courses, such as University Centre Reaseheath, will be returning to face-to-face learning from 8th March.

Your return will replicate the arrangements we had in place for the autumn term, however, delivery will be phased to allow students to be tested, as per the requirements. More information about your return to campus will be sent to you in due course.

Until this date, there will still be provision for onsite learning for vulnerable students, those whose parents are key workers and very small number of HE students. If you fall into any of these categories please read the FAQs below for more detail.

For now, you should also continue to follow your online learning timetable that will have been provided by your Course Manager/Personal Tutor. Our staff are all working incredibly hard to ensure the best possible remote learning experience in these challenging times.

Exams for the majority of programmes will be postponed or cancelled. This is perhaps the area that will be causing students and apprentices the most concern and we are currently working hard to interpret guidance as it is released, what we can confirm is that GCSE exams will not be undertaken this academic year with alternative assessment methods introduced (further details to be announced) in addition the college has taken the decision to postpone all on site vocational exams for at least the duration of this lockdown (apprenticeship off site ‘End Point Assessments’ will still take place where possible). Further information on the decision to postpone or cancel exams can be found below in the FAQs.

College transport routes will not be running for the duration of the lockdown and residential accommodation as well as the college gym will also be closed. Any charges for the year will be adjusted to ensure students are not charged for the period they have been unable to access these services.

Our Covid-19 ‘Lateral Flow’ rapid test centre has been up and running for a couple of months now testing any staff and the few students who are still onsite. This testing is now a routine part of our Covid-19 safety measures and will be particularly important when we return to face-to-face learning with an aim to test all those who are accessing the site.

Our support services including Learning Support and Wellbeing will be there for all students and apprentices throughout. Keep checking the student Sharepoint site, MyReaseheath app and Moodle for helpful information and advice. Your personal tutor will also be keeping in regular contact via Microsoft Teams and email to help guide you through this phase of remote delivery.

All communication on the latest updates will continue to be directed to students’ college email accounts. Therefore please check your college emails frequently.

We will also continue to regularly update the FAQs below, so please refer back to this page for all of the latest information. We will also share updates on our social media channels.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for please contact your course manager via email or Microsoft Teams and they will be able to advise you. Alternatively you can complete our online enquiry form or email us at enquiries@reaseheath.ac.uk.

We understand that this an unprecedented and worrying time for everyone. Our priority as ever is to provide students and apprentices with an engaging and safe learning experience and we are determined to continue to do this in the face of such challenges. Please make sure you stay in contact, engage in your learning and if you are struggling ask for help. Thank you for your continued support and understanding throughout this period.

It is crucial that you follow the governments advice on how to protect yourself and others, this includes self isolation. Read the latest advice here.

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Covid-19 FAQs

Information for students

When will college open again to students?

Following the latest Government announcement on 22nd February 2021, face-to-face delivery will be recommencing at Reaseheath College and University Centre Reaseheath from Monday 8th March, replicating the arrangements in place for the autumn term.

This delivery will be phased, however, to allow students to be tested, as per the requirements. Students will be contacted by their tutor with information on their return to campus.

In the meantime, all FE, HE and Apprenticeship programmes will continue to follow a remote delivery model. Our staff are all working incredibly hard to ensure the best possible remote learning experience in these challenging times.

I fall into the vulnerable learner category, how do I access the campus?

Vulnerable students, for whom it is essential for their health, wellbeing and progress, are still able to access the campus for on site learning. Students who may fall into this category will be contacted (including parents and carers) by the College’s Learning Support Team in the coming days to discuss support needs and identify who should still be accessing the campus.

Any student who is identified as needing to still access the site for face to face learning will be able to discuss transport needs, with the college aiming to support students in any way we can.

I am a child of a keyworker, can I access the campus for my studies?

Children of keyworkers can still access on site learning if it is considered essential for their safety and wellbeing, anyone in this category wishing to access the college campus should inform their personal tutor as soon as possible.

Any student who is identified as needing to still access the site for face to face learning will be able to discuss transport needs, with the college aiming to support students in any way we can.

I study at an outreach centre, does the same information still apply?

Yes, any students studying at one of our outreach centres, including Croft End and Burrows Lane, will follow the same guidance as is set out above.

Can I access college transport during lockdown?

College transport routes will not be running for the duration of the lockdown. Any charges for the year will be adjusted to ensure students are not charged for the period they have been unable to access these services. We will notify students as soon as the college bus service is able to resume.

I am a residential student, am I able to stay in my student accommodation through lockdown?

College residential accommodation will be closed for the duration of the lockdown. Any charges for the year will be adjusted to ensure students are not charged for the period they have been unable to access these services.

There may be some students who feel they have significant extenuating circumstances that mean they will need to continue to reside on site during the lockdown, any students who feel they fall into this category should inform residential services immediately.

I am due to start/recommence a work placement for my course, will this still be going ahead?

All work placements have been temporarily suspended until at least 19th February, but we realise this may be longer. The college has a duty of care to all of its students and your safety and wellbeing is our absolute priority. We are unable to carry out the same high level of monitoring checks with regards to work placements in the current climate. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide a further update when notice of the lockdown end comes.

In the meantime if you have any questions or concerns regarding your work placement please contact Careers and Placement Manager, Kenny Nolan at kenny.nolan@reaseheath.ac.uk.

Can I use an Xbox or PlayStation to access my online lessons?

You can use your Xbox or PlayStation to access Microsoft Teams, so even if you don’t have a laptop, you can still access your learning at home during lockdown. Here’s how:

For PlayStation:

Head to your console’s library and choose the option for games and applications
Select applications and fire up the PS4 web browser
Type Microsoft Teams in the browser and then log in to your account via your username and password
This will give you access to all content online, including live sessions
Don’t forget your headset if you need to interact!

For Xbox:

Go in to my games and apps
Find Microsoft Edge and select it
Type in ‘Microsoft Teams’ and log in as you would at college
You can then access your work through one drive and use key packages including Word,

PowerPoint and Excel Online

To move around, use the Xbox controller or plug in a mouse
Remember to plug in a headset if you need to interact!

It works best if you can use a USB mouse and keyboard, which should just plug-in to your console.

Information on exams and assessments

I am due to sit a GCSE Maths and/or English exam this year, will this still take place?

GCSE exams will not be undertaken this academic year with alternative assessment methods introduced. As soon as we have further details on this we will share another update.

I am a UCR student, are my assessments still taking place?

HE assessments are still going ahead and have not been cancelled. Any amendments to any assessments would be communicated to you in advance. If you have any queries, please contact the UCR team.

Will vocational exams be taking place this year?

Exams for the majority of programmes will be postponed or cancelled. This is perhaps the area that will be causing students and apprentices the most concern and we are currently working hard to interpret guidance as it is released, the college has taken the decision to postpone all on site vocational exams for at least the duration of this lockdown.

The Department of Education has indicated that colleges can make the judgement on whether to run vocational exams or not, the college Executive Team do not believe it is fair or safe to push on with exams under the current restrictions as it would put students and staff under increased risk, particularly due to students travelling from various locations across the UK, this would also disadvantage some students who are unable to travel to college in order to participate in said exams.

Over the coming weeks we will work with awarding bodies to ascertain how we can use alternative assessment methods in order to ensure qualifications can be awarded this year and we are already receiving assurance from awarding bodies that no student will be disadvantaged by this situation. Further information on this matter will be communicated in the coming weeks as we gain clarity from the Department for Education and awarding bodies.

I am an apprentice, will my End Point Assessment still take place?

Apprenticeship off site End Point Assessments will still take place where possible. Your Skills Coach will be in contact with you to discuss this in more detail.

Information about student support services

How do I access the college wellbeing services?

We recognise that many students will be feeling uncertain and anxious at this time. At Reaseheath positive mental health and wellbeing is important to us. Our sector-leading praised student health and wellbeing service will be on hand to support you throughout your time at Reaseheath. There is a range of wellbeing support, advice and guidance available on the BeWell Sharepoint page. Alternatively you can contact the team directly by emailing wellbeingteam@reaseheath.ac.uk

I don’t have access to IT equipment at home, what support is available to me?

Students whose access to IT equipment, such as laptops, computers or tablets is limited at home, are offered various means of support and access to equipment in order to remove these barriers. If it is felt this is the case the student or parent/carer can flag this with the student’s Course Manager or our Learning Support Centre at LSC@reaseheath.ac.uk. The government’s 16 to 19 Bursary Fund provides financial support to help students overcome specific financial barriers to participation so that they can remain in education, further information on how we are using this fund at Reaseheath is available here.

How can the library help me during the current lockdown?

Firstly if you have any books we have renewed them to March 2nd. If lockdown or online delivery is extended we will renew the books again for you so don’t worry about getting them back to us yet.

We will be providing online support only until Reaseheath reopens.

There are help videos and other information on our Sharepoint pages.

You can email us library@reaseheath.ac.uk this address is monitored Monday – Friday 9-5 during term time and regularly in vacations. We can provide 1:1 support on teams by appointments made via email.

We subscribe to a wide variety of e-journal databases, look for the link to Find it @ the Library on the website. A demonstration video is available.

You will be required to login via your institution/Open Athens to gain full text access, again more info on the webpages.

We no longer use Shibboleth for authentication.

I would like to tell Reaseheath College that my email address has changed?

Please send an email to fe-enquiries@reaseheath.ac.uk with your name, student reference number and your new email address.

Information about events at Reaseheath

Will the Live Lambing and Zoo event be going ahead this year?

Unfortunately in line with Covid restrictions we are unable to hold this event in our usual way. We will however be doing online educational activities from 28th February – 7th March. Please keep an eye on our website for details.

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