29th November 2021

Covid-19 update: Face masks and Covid-19 testing

Dear Student,

I wanted to send you an update, as we head into the final three weeks of term on some key dates and communications. Following the Prime Minister's briefing on 27th November, in which face coverings on transport; and in secondary schools, colleges and Higher Education establishments communal areas has now been made mandatory.

Face coverings

We are recommending that staff, students and visitors wear masks in the communal areas of the college. We have plenty of masks on reception and are ready to deploy additional boxes around staff rooms if you need them. To request face masks for an office or location students can collect them, please use a helpdesk ticket for estates, stating where they should be delivered to, so that we can ensure we have coverage around the college.

Covid-19 testing and local rates

Firstly on the covid front, we can see increasing numbers of you reporting your lateral flow test results via the google form(a link to which is here) but there is still some room for improvement. Please would you ensure that when you do a lateral flow test you report the outcomes to both the college and the NHS. If you have any questions about how to do this, please talk to your GST. Another point I wanted to share with you was an update to the advice we give.
The local case rate is in excess of 600 cases per 100,000 and we have seen an increase in the reporting of positive cases. In line with other educational providers, we want to ensure that we can continue to deliver high quality face to face education through to the Christmas holidays, and ensure everyone is then able to have a good Christmas break. This advice is in line with the winter plan which recommends that you wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed settings where you are coming into contact with people you don’t usually meet.

Parents Evenings

As I am sure you are aware, we have parents evenings planned for 6^th and 13^th December for both 1^st years and 2^nd years students. These are planned to be face to face meetings and you will be asked to make appointments for your parents / guardians to see the relevant members of staff. During the meetings the tutors will be discussing your attendance, target grades and progress, as well as highlighting e-tracker and how it is used to track and record attendance, predicted grades, progress reviews and behaviour. It would be wise if you show your parents your e-tracker pages, prior to their appointments so they are aware of the type of discussion we are going to be having with them. (A copy of this e-mail is being shared with all parents and guardians.)

Attendance

We are seeing some fantastic attendance from students, with almost 25% of students still having 100% attendance and half of all students with attendance at 94% and above. However, there are some students for whom attendance is dipping. It is imperative that you attend each of your scheduled lessons, including maths and English. These have been carefully sequenced to ensure that you develop the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve your full qualifications. If you do need to self-isolate due to covid, our google classrooms allow you to still join your lessons and develop your learning.

We have been lucky, in that we have had very little disruption due to covid, so far this year. However, we don’t know what is around the corner and we want to maximise your learning in college, especially for those of you taking practical subjects. Please ensure you prioritise attendance and if you are unable to attend, ensure we are notified, so that it can be followed up with parents / guardians.

Snow Days

With the talk of early snow and also linked to my the point about attendance, I also wanted to ensure you are aware of the protocols if snow makes travel to college difficult. We use our website and social media channels on Facebook and twitter to communicate any full or partial closures due to snow, as well as using Radio York. If we do have to close for snow, or you are unable to attend due to snow, then lessons will be delivered via google classrooms. Please ensure you follow one of our social media platforms and know how to join your classroom from home.

Christmas Break

As you know, the college breaks up for Christmas on Friday 17^th December. We have decided that Friday 17th will be a remote study day. All your normal lessons will be delivered remotely via google classrooms on Friday morning and you will be set work / catch up time on Friday afternoon. Lessons then recommence on Tuesday 4^th January.

I will be sending out another message just prior to the Christmas holidays, with updates and more news on our proposed merger with Wakefield College.

Please keep studying hard and making the most of your time here at Selby College

Liz