HE timetables will move to online delivery from Friday 4^th December until Wednesday 16^th December.

This is as per Government guidance to allow HE residential students to travel home on the weekend of the 5^th – 6^th December. This will allow sufficient time for you to travel home prior to the Christmas break, factoring in the potential for mandatory self-isolation in case you test positive for COVID-19, or in case you are in contact with someone who has tested positive, and need to remain at college for a further 14 days beyond this point.

All HE residential students will still have access to their room as needed until the 18th December.

FE timetables will run as the normal mix of face to face and online delivery until Friday 11th December as per the Government guidance.

If you are an FE student living in halls of residence, you may remain in your halls until Friday 18th December. However, if you wish to, you can travel home for Christmas from the weekend of 5^th – 6^th December, and you will be able to access online learning for the week of the 7^th – 11^th December, with each curriculum area making appropriate arrangements for you.

The December FE Review Week which runs from the 14th-16th December will be online for all students this year. Any FE students still in residences on these dates will be able to access activities remotely on campus. FE students who choose to travel home early must inform residential services and their course managers to ensure appropriate arrangements for remote learning can be put in place.

The Careers team at Reaseheath is working hard to support students applying to university. Students can access the new Careers and Enterprise SharePoint page via the welcome pack on My Day – it contains lots of useful information on UCAS. UCAS offers useful information for parents and careers via a newsletter, which can be found here.

We are asking that students applying to university for 2021 entry complete their UCAS applications by 5pm on Friday 11th December 2020 to give tutors and careers staff sufficient time to check through the forms and add the references before the official UCAS application deadline of 15th January 2021.

Any queries on the UCAS process please contact Kenny Nolan, the Careers and Work Placement Manager, via email at kenny.nolan@reaseheath.ac.uk

Our tutorial programme is an essential part of the study programme at Reaseheath College as it helps to equip students for life beyond formal learning – for example, by developing employability skills, digital knowledge and skills, sustainability knowledge and self-knowledge for supporting one’s own mental health and wellbeing.

This month we have given students access to the online Association of Colleges National Student Conference and on 1 December we launch the 12 days of Reaseheath, which will run online until 16 December (excluding weekends). Highlights include:

1 December – the launch of our college collection for Food Bank in Nantwich – students and staff will be encouraged to donate non-perishable food items as collection points in college

3 December – Student Conference with inspirational guest speakers

From 14 December – the Reaseheath Christmas Service for students to enjoy online

Please take part in the festivities! We know that this year won’t be the same as we might have hoped, but we are hoping to generate a lot of festive fun.

Our college SEND support team have advised us that, in addition to the support that we provide to students in college, local authorities are now offering some particularly good support materials for young people on their websites. For example, the Cheshire East Live Well site can be viewed here.

If you think this may be of interest, we also advise that you check out your local authority’s website for further details.

• A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Most people with coronavirus have at least one of these symptoms. Check the gov.uk website for the latest information on coronavirus.

If you are displaying symptoms you must not travel to college and instead should self-isolate, informing your personal tutor or course area Programme Administrator by phone.

Any student who develops symptoms whilst on-site will be directed to Student Services where they will be assessed. Those showing Covid-19 symptoms will be isolated until they can be picked up by a parent/guardian.

Students who are self-isolating will receive a letter instructing them that they should arrange to have a Covid test and that they cannot return to college until:

• You can demonstrate you have had a negative Covid test – evidence must be shown to the Student Services department
• You have self-isolated for at least 10 days following a positive test and are no longer display symptoms

Your curriculum staff will ensure that any student who is self-isolating is engaging in online learning and tutoring. You can phone the main reception on 01270 625131 who can direct you if you do not have direct contact details.

If you have been told to self-isolate by NHS test and trace you must not travel to college and inform your personal tutor or course area Programme Administrator by phone immediately.

If you receive a notification from NHS test and trace whilst on-site you most notify a member of staff immediately. You will then be directed to Student Services where they will take appropriate action. This will include logging the date when you can return to campus, you will then need to be picked up by a parent/guardian.

There are three simple actions we must all do to keep on protecting each other: wash hands, cover face and make space.

On campus we have introduced increased hand washing facilities and hand sanitiser stations across the campus to enable you to clean your hands more often than usual. To clean your hands, you should wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with running water and soap and dry them thoroughly, or use alcohol hand rub/sanitiser ensuring that all parts of the hands are covered.

In addition to this enhanced cleaning is taking place across campus by our domestic team concentrating on frequently touched surfaces and shared areas. After each lesson your classroom desk will be cleaned down to help further reduce risk. Although it is the tutor’s responsibility to clean down surfaces after lessons students may be asked to clean the areas they have been using where appropriate.

Everyone on campus will be required to wear a face covering (unless exempt) in all corridors and communal areas (including in toilet facilities). All students will have received a Reaseheath face covering. In line with Government guidance, this rule does not apply for classrooms, practical workshops or once you are seated in communal areas such as catering outlets or student bars.

Over summer the college introduced additional classroom spaces to help maintain social distancing in class. You may not always be required to social distance in class but in these instances students can where a face covering. 25% of your timetabled study will take place online and the campus has been zoned to help reduce footfall across campus. Each department has their own dedicated catering outlet within their zone and break times are staggered to help minimise contact and mixing. Our catering outlets are operating a grab and go lunch time service. Residential students will be able to have a sit down meal at breakfast and dinner time.

Some individuals are exempt from wearing face coverings. For example, people who:

• cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability
• are speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate

These exemptions will apply whilst you’re at college and our staff are sensitive to these needs. If you are exempt from wearing a face covering you need to contact the Student Services team who can  provide you with the appropriate pin to be worn on your student lanyard.

The college will immediately notify the Department for Education as soon as we are informed of a positive result from staff or a student who will support the college in taking appropriate action. We will communicate any required actions to students, parents and staff where necessary. Students can attend as normal unless otherwise notified.

For further guidance on the measures the college is taking to keep students safe on campus during the Covid pandemic, please visit the new students and applicants page here.

Yes, in line with government guidance, colleges and universities will remain open to ensure that you can fully benefit from your education and training. To help ensure college is safe for you we have put extensive measures, controls and risk assessments in place which are detailed in our staying safe at college guide. We are closely following the situation and will notify students accordingly should this change.

Yes, all college bus routes will still be operational and you will still be able to travel to college from an area where there are local lockdown measures in place, including areas with high/very high alert levels. In line with the latest government guidance, if you commute into a high alert level area you must not:

• meet people you do not live with in their home inside the area, unless they’re in your household, childcare or support bubble
• host people you do not live with in your home, if they live in the affected area, unless they’re in your childcare or support bubble
• meet people you do not live with in their student halls, whether inside or outside of the area, unless they’re in your childcare or support bubble

You will be required to follow all safety measures whilst using college transport. This includes social distancing at bus stops, sanitising your hands and wearing face coverings at all times. You can watch our travelling to college safely video here to find out more.

If you travel to Reaseheath from Wales, either on college transport or independently, travel for education purposes is still permitted and therefore you will still be able to travel to and from Reaseheath to access your learning.

If you live in residential student accommodation, the current government guidance states that you should not move backwards and forwards between your parents’ or carers’ home and college/university until at least 2nd December to help prevent any further spread of Covid-19. Our Student Services Safeguarding Team will be on hand 24/7 to keep you safe whilst you are on campus and our Student Wellbeing Team will continue to provide support to any students who are feeling homesick during this period.

The majority of our halls of residence have ensuite facilities and residential students have been placed wherever possible in ‘bubbles’ to limit contact with other students from different course areas.

In some halls of residence you will be required to wear your face covering in corridors and communal areas. This will be made clear by the Residential Services team. You are not currently able to have visits to your halls of residence from other students and you must socially distance from anyone you do not live with.

Any residential students who display coronavirus symptoms must self-isolate immediately and notify Student Services who will support them and any other students who live in the residence.

If you leave our campus during the day or evening to head into Nantwich or beyond you must adhere to the national rules of lockdown and would be liable for any fines or punishment if you fail to do so. Only essential shops will be open during this period of time so please only venture off campus if it is absolutely essential and please respect our local residents and members of the public by adhering to the Hands, Face, Space rules.

After 5pm if you live in a hall of residence which has a suitable common room space (Windsor, All Townhouses, Chetwood and Platt) you are expected to stay within that hall of residence unless you are leaving for essential shopping or exercise (e.g. a walk around campus).

Where suitable common room spaces are not available we have allocated areas for your hall of residence only to socialise:

• Cotton – bar area.
• Tomkinson – deli area of the canteen (entrance next to wellbeing)
• Jodrell – under 18 common room.
• Reaseheath Hall – Bield Bar.
• Over 18 block release – HE Centre
• Phase 5 students (not block release) – Weaver 3

Understandably you will want to see other students from other halls but please remember that like April, this is a lockdown. If you wish to walk around with other students please adhere to social distancing and wear masks. Mass gatherings unfortunately are not permitted on college grounds as well as in public.

The Student Life Team will be putting a range of online activities on for you to enjoy and still socialise. As always they are open for feedback on things you would like to do studentlife@reaseheath.ac.uk. We will also be putting on minibus trips to supermarkets during this time period on Monday-Thursday.

If you need any support during this time please ring 07889 216789 or contact our wellbeing team at wellbeing@reaseheath.ac.uk

Most of your learning will take place at Reaseheath College, however this year most of our students will also attend lessons online for up to 25% of their timetabled study time each week. This has the dual purpose of helping to reduce the volume of students on campus to support the government’s social distancing guidelines, but will also help students to prepare for work, which in most sectors now includes the need to be able to operate and learn online with confidence.

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. You can contact the team by emailing wellbeingteam@reaseheath.ac.uk

At Reaseheath, we recognise that industry work placements are an integral part of your course. Our dedicated work placement team are working hard to ensure that all students can safely undertake their industry work placement. The team are vetting all employers for both health and safety and covid compliance and will ensure that robust risk assessments are in place for all student work placements.

Our students’ safety is paramount to us and we will continue to closely monitor the situation regarding the impact of coronavirus on industry placements.

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.

For students whose access to digital learning is limited or unavailable at home we have created a new Study Centre in the Lord Woolley Centre (LWC) to enable students to undertake self-study whilst on campus.

The Study Centre will be open from 9am-4.30pm each day and can accommodate up to 46 individual bookings in 1.5 hour slots. Students can drop in and book a space that day with the staff member supervising. If you need to use the space to access online learning you will be requested to use your own headphones.

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