Guidance shared with students regarding Covid-19

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

• 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.

What should a student do if they have any Covid-19 symptoms?

Students have been instructed that if they are displaying symptoms, as per those detailed above, they must not travel to college and instead should self-isolate, informing their personal tutor or area PA by phone.

If students develop symptoms whilst on-site, they 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:

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

It is the curriculum department’s responsibility to ensure any learner who is self-isolating is engaging in online learning and tutoring to ensure they do not fall behind. If you feel this is not happening sufficiently please contact the department PA or course tutor. You can phone main reception on 01270 625131 who can direct you if you do not have direct contact details.

What will the college do if a student or staff member has tested positive for Covid-19?

The college will 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 can now report that we have had our first positive Covid test. This of course has tested our processes and we were immediately in touch with the external agencies who were able to advise us. In this instance, because of the timing of when the student had symptoms and was last in college, there was no need to initiate a track and trace process. Students can attend as normal and should continue to follow the guidance as detailed.

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.

Attendance at college

Your son or daughter will have a timetable of study. Most of this will be based at Reaseheath College, but 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.

It is essential that all students attend their timetabled sessions. There is a proven positive link between a student’s attendance and their overall achievement at college.

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.

It is really important to your son or daughter’s overall achievement that they engage in all aspects of their timetabled study programme.

Safeguarding at college

As a college we follow the government’s Keeping Children Safe in Education (2020) guidelines. Reaseheath College has a highly experienced and dedicated college safeguarding team who are committed to keeping our students safe, both on campus and in all aspects of their study and life linked to college, including online.

Safeguarding students is our number one priority and there are a few basics that every learner can do to help keep themselves and others safe on campus:

• Always wear their ID badge and the correct lanyard – this helps to easily identify who should and shouldn’t be on campus
• Listen carefully to the course induction safeguarding briefing as this explains key information about the college safeguarding rules and processes that keep everyone safe
• Report any concerns about their safety or the safety of another, no matter how small it may seem, to their course manager, a member of the college safeguarding team or any member of staff (i.e. those wearing a grey lanyard). Safeguarding concerns such as bullying can be reported, or suggestions or compliments can be given using the ‘SEE IT SAY IT’ form that that you can find here

We work with our students via our Be Ready programme (see below) to guide them in how to stay safe online, for example with strangers via social media and gaming platforms and the potential for financial or sexual exploitation online. We aim to equip our students with the knowledge and tools to empower them to stay safe, and we encourage them to report any concerns about themselves or a fellow student to their tutor or a member of the college safeguarding team.

If you as a parent or carer have any concerns about your son or daughter then please contact their tutor or the college’s wellbeing team at wellbeing@reaseheath.ac.uk and we will be more than happy to work with you.

BeReady programme

To support our students prepare for life and work, we have the Reaseheath College BeReady programme which students study alongside their vocational programme. There are six aspects to the programme:

1. BeAware – supports the safeguarding of our students
2. BeWell – develops and supports the holistic wellbeing of our students
3. BeInvolved – encourages students to engage in college and community projects
4. BeEmployable – supports students with preparation for work placements, careers and progression to further study
5. BeEco – develops knowledge about and support for sustainable living
6. BeDigital – supports students to develop their IT and digital skills for study and work

Further information about this important aspect of studying at Reaseheath can be found on the BeReady page here.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Students will be made aware by their course manager of the PPE that they need for their course. It is vital that students adhere to these requirements as PPE is the kit that will help to keep them safe from injury or harm during practical learning sessions.

This year, a key part of PPE for all students is a face mask. Face masks must be worn at all times on all college bus routes (or students will be refused admission to the bus) and in all corridors and communal areas. This also includes catering areas as they select and pay for food prior to sitting down to eat and in the library.

Visit our transport page for more information on the safety measures currently in place on our college buses.

Exams

GCSE maths and English exams will commence in October. If your son or daughter is studying to re-sit either maths or English, it is essential that they attend their revision classes in preparation for the exam.

All students are asked at interview to disclose if they have previously had exam access arrangements (EEA). If they have, we will seek to gather the necessary details to enable us to offer the appropriate EEA for your son or daughter in advance of the exam. We will cater for all students eligible for and requesting ongoing EEA at college.

Checking on your child’s progress

We set individual learning and development targets for each of our students, which we record and track using a system called ProMonitor. All students have full access to their own ProMonitor account and if you would like to review their study progress, then feel free to ask your son or daughter to show you the details of their progress against target on ProMonitor.

We will plan Review Dates (akin to a parents’ evening) with parents and carers in the months ahead and will be in touch with further details about those once the scheduling is complete.