COVID-19 update (May 14)
The relaxation of social distancing measures as part of the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown means changes in the college from Monday, May 17th.
Following recent information from the Department for Education (Further education COVID-19 operational guidance, May 2021), the following changes to our Covid safety arrangements will be in place from Monday:
- Removal of the one-way system.
- Reintroduction of seating areas within the Meeting Place (main cafeteria) at socially distanced two metre intervals; masks can be removed when sitting to eat and drink.
- The wearing of face masks in corridors and communal areas will still be required, this will be reviewed again in June 2021. This is a precautionary measure and I would like to thank all staff and students for continued cooperation with this. Whilst DfE guidance no longer mandates this measure, it is for individual institutions to decide on their approach to this. We have decided to continue for the following reasons:
To allow a few more weeks for the vaccination of staff and parents/carers in the younger age groups.
Concerns, reported widely in the media over the last few days, about the rapid spread of the Indian Covid variant.
The mask policy is well-established and only a few teaching weeks remain.
Wearing of face masks will not be required in classrooms where two metre distancing can still be maintained.
- Regular Covid testing of both students and staff remains voluntary but strongly encouraged. Lateral flow device test kits, to self-test twice a week at home, are available to collect from Reception. If you have any questions or concerns about these changes, please speak to your tutor in the first instance.
Thank you to all students once again for your support as we continue to navigate through this ongoing situation; hopefully, we can all start to look forward to some form of normality soon.
Natalie Davison-Terranova
Principal & Chief Executive
Bishop Auckland College