Changes to curriculum delivery and residential options in December
FE timetables will run as the normal mix of face to face and online delivery until Friday the 11th December as per the Government guidance. FE students who live in halls of residence may remain in their halls until Friday the 18th Dec, however if they wish to they have the option of travelling home for xmas from the weekend of the 5th/6th Dec and therefore will be able to access online learning for the week of the 7th-11th Dec with each curriculum area making appropriate arrangements.
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.
If you are a parent/carer of an undergraduate student the HE timetables will move to online delivery from Friday the 4th December until Wednesday the 16th December, this is as per the Government guidance and therefore HE residential students are able to travel home on the weekend of the 5th and 6th December to allow sufficient time for them to do so prior to the Christmas break, factoring in the potential for mandatory self-isolation in the event that they test positive for Covid-19 or 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.
Supporting students with applications to university
The Careers team at Reaseheath is working hard to support our 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: https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/ucas-undergraduate-advice-parents-and-guardians
We are asking that students applying to university for 2021 entry complete their UCAS applications by 5pm on Friday 11 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 January 15 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
Be Ready tutorial programme
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; and
From 14 December – the Reaseheath Christmas Service for students to enjoy online.
Please encourage your son or daughter to 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: https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/livewell/livewell.aspx
If you think this may be of interest or use to your son or daughter, we advise that you check out your local authority’s website for further details.
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)
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: https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/livewell/livewell.aspx
If you think this may be of interest or use to your son or daughter, we advise that you check out your local authority’s website for further details.
Parent and Carer Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main symptoms of Coronavirus?
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. The measures we have put in place have been effective so far. We have had a low number of positive cases at Reaseheath and have been able to manage the impact of these cases successfully to minimise the impact on our students.
For further guidance on the measures the college is taking to keep students safe on campus during the Covid pandemic, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page here.
What does my son or daughter’s timetable look like this year?
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.
What safeguarding measures are in place at Reaseheath?
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.
What will my son or daughter cover in their BeReady tutorial 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:
- BeAware – supports the safeguarding of our students
- BeWell – develops and supports the holistic wellbeing of our students
- BeInvolved – encourages students to engage in college and community projects
- BeEmployable – supports students with preparation for work placements, careers and progression to further study
- BeEco – develops knowledge about and support for sustainable living
- 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.
What PPE will my son or daughter need for their course?
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. We also strongly recommend that students wear their face covering when in close contact in practical sessions.
Visit our transport page for more information on the safety measures currently in place on our college buses.
How do I monitor my child’s progress at college?
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.
This year’s Review Week (akin to a parents’ evening) with parents and carers will run from the 14th-16th December and will be online this year. Further information on Review Week will be sent to you in due course.