24 FEB 2021

Back to college: Everything you need to know

Learners are due to return to further education colleges from 8 March, Boris Johnson has confirmed, but how will it work? This is what the guidance says

Colleges will reopen fully from 8 March, prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed today. 

Rapid Covid tests will play a key role in the return to face-to-face teaching, with all students and staff expected to receive four tests within the first two weeks of on-site delivery, and then twice weekly after that. 

The Department for Education (DfE) has also confirmed that staff and students in colleges are advised to wear face coverings in all areas, including classrooms, where social distancing cannot be maintained, as a temporary extra measure. 

Alongside the prime minister’s statement this afternoon, the DfE has published extensive new guidance for FE settings. This is what it says: 

Reopening

From 8 March, all students will be able to return to on-site education.

Colleges and providers will be expected to fully deliver planned hours for students of all ages including those with special educational needs and disability, and to ensure that on-site delivery resumes. “This may be supplemented by high-quality remote delivery, recognising that some providers delivered aspects of provision remotely prior to coronavirus,” the guidance says. 

The government says it is reasonable for institutions to continue to deploy a blended delivery model, provided that education delivered remotely meets the expectations set out in the “delivery of remote education” section of the guidance and the remote element of the programme complements and does not undermine the overall quality of education. Engagement with students via on-site delivery should count for the majority of planned learning hours for all 16 to 19 students. Leaders should continue to judge the right balance between on-site and remote delivery for adult students in order to provide high-quality education and training.

Transport

Students’ use of public transport should be kept to an absolute minimum.

Protecting staff and students

Colleges and providers must:

Minimise contact with individuals who are required to self-isolate by ensuring they do not attend the setting. If a student displays coronavirus symptoms or has a positive test while at college, they should avoid using public transport and, wherever possible, be collected by a member of their family or household.
Ensure face coverings are used in recommended circumstances. Face coverings should be worn by adults and students when moving around the premises, in corridors and communal areas, and in classrooms or workshops where social distancing cannot easily be maintained, except where exemptions apply. They do not need to be worn by students when outdoors on the premises or in situations where wearing a face covering would impact on the ability to take part in exercise or strenuous activity. Transparent face coverings, which may assist communication with someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expression to communicate, can also be worn. A small contingency of face coverings should be held by institutions. 
Ensure everyone is advised to clean their hands thoroughly and more often than usual. 
Ensure good respiratory hygiene for everyone by promoting the “catch it, bin it, kill it” approach.Maintain enhanced cleaning, including cleaning frequently touched surfaces often, using standard products such as detergents.Consider how to minimise contact across the site and maintain social distancing wherever possible. The government says the overarching principle to apply is reducing the number of contacts between students and staff. This can be achieved through keeping groups separate and through maintaining distance between individuals. Where class-sized groups are not possible in order to deliver the full programme of study, or to manage the practical logistics within and around the site, other measures from the system of controls become even more important.The guidance says: “We strongly recommend that, as a minimum, you plan to keep your year groups or cohorts of students separate from each other during the day. You will need to think about whether you can group students into smaller groupings and still deliver a full programme of study. However, there is no set requirement to make cohorts smaller than normal class size.”

Keep occupied spaces well ventilated.

In specific circumstances, leaders have to ensure individuals wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) where necessary and promote and engage in asymptomatic testing.

Read the full article via TES FE