Update Covid-19: Advice to all students, parents & carers – 08/01/2021
Dear students, parents, and carers
Further to my last communication to you on 18th December 2020, I would like to update you on the current COVID-19 situation in the College.
REPORTED COVID-19 CASES: LATEST DATA
The table below gives the most up-to-date picture of COVID-19 infections at South Devon College in all areas.
| Weekly cases: 7 (Total cases reported since 18/12/20 – this gives an indication of the number of current cases) |
| Total cases: 45 (A running total of positive/presumed positive cases reported to the College by students and staff since the first case was reported on Wednesday 7th October 2020) |
England moves in to National Lockdown: Stay at Home
Further information about can be found here: National lockdown: Stay at Home – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
COVID-19 National Testing Programme for Schools & Colleges
From Monday 11th January 2021, the College will have in place asymptomatic Lateral Flow testing for students and staff who need to be present on site during the current Lockdown, for example vulnerable students and the staff required to support them and keep facilities open.
At present asymptomatic Lateral Flow testing is not required before students or staff can access the College.
All teaching and learning (with the exception of supported sessions for vulnerable students and a small number of Higher Education students) will now be conducted remotely until the end of this half term on Friday 12th February 2021. Please note that Spring Half Term runs from Monday 15th to Friday 19th February 2021 inclusive, and there will be no scheduled teaching during that week. We are hoping that teaching and learning will commence again onsite from Monday 22nd February 2021, the week directly after the half term break. However, this will be subject to Government approval and guidance which we should receive in due course and we will update you as necessary in a timely way.
This online delivery or supported home learning will be formally timetabled for all students. The College will remain open to support our vulnerable learners.
I hope you will understand that we are still receiving updated guidance from the Government and Department for Education and some guidance is issued late or at the last minute and so arrangements may change at short notice. Please do keep an eye on the South Devon College website news feed and social media channels for further updates.
University Centre South Devon (UCSD) Options Evening
Those on L3 programmes will have been invited to the UCSD Options Evening on the 7th January, this event will now be rescheduled and maybe moved to a virtual event instead. Further information will follow.
Reporting positive Covid test results
Please remember to complete the ‘Out of hours Notification of a POSTIVE COVID-19 test result’ form to alert us if you, a member of your household or other close contact identified through Track & Trace, receive a positive test result whilst the College is closed. This online form is available via our main website www.southdevon.ac.uk
Continued communication
During the Lockdown period, we will continue to issue a weekly update of the number of confirmed cases within the College, including for those learning and working remotely. The next update of this academic year will be provided at 2pm on Friday 15th January 2021.
Thank you very much for your continuing support.
Yours sincerely,
Laurence Frewin
Principal and CEO
South Devon College