Selby College reveals its reopening plans following the coronavirus pandemic

Following Boris Johnson’s announcement that schools and colleges will be allowed to reopen from the 15th June for Year 10 and 12 students, Selby College has revealed its plan for a ‘phased and safe’ return for some of its students.

While online learning will continue for all students, this follows Government guidance that Colleges should have some ‘face-to-face contact’ before the summer with students who are returning in the autumn. Some students will also be invited in to undertake a practical assessment to finish off their vocational qualification or apprenticeship. Both assessments and face-to-face meetings will take place in a large, pre-prepared rooms which have tables and chairs socially distanced and local sanitisation stations. The College has also reached out to a small number of students who are in need of additional support or may have high needs, to invite them in for one-to-one sessions.

“At Selby College, the safety of both students and staff is our highest priority. That is why we are looking to implement a gradual re-start, which will allow us to offer students who need it the most, one-to-one or small group sessions that can add value to them or enable them to undertake the practical assessments to achieve their qualifications. This will permit us to keep numbers onsite at any time very small, allowing us to use our largest rooms and workshops to maximise social distancing,” said Phil Sayles, Principal and CEO of Selby College.

The College has carried out a detailed assessment of the risks posed by Covid-19 and many steps have been taken to ensure the safe return of its staff and students. This includes the implementation of social distancing measures across the College, as well as other safety precautions such as increased handwashing and sanitising facilities.

Regular surface cleaning and disinfecting will also be carried out throughout the College day. Remote learning and home working will also be the first option where it is practical and sufficiently effective to significantly reduce the number of people on campus.

All students invited to attend the College will receive a detailed briefing about the safety measures which have been implemented prior to their visit. Once they have arrived on site, students will also be provided with a face-to-face briefing (at a safe distance) to ensure they understand the new guidelines and rules.

The College has also prepared safety leaflets and video clips to ensure that staff and students are aware of the symptoms of coronavirus and how they can help to prevent the spread of it.

The College’s phased reopening plan follows advice and guidance from both the Government and the Department for Education to minimise the risk of infection as much as possible. To adhere to this, the onsite refectory will remained closed and transport to the College will not be operating in this phase of the reopening plan.

“Our students have responded fantastically to online learning and we have received some great feedback from them based on their experience during this time,” said Phil Sayles. “With this phased reopening plan in place, we hope to continue this level and quality of online learning and engagement with our students, whilst safely returning to physical learning again with small, controlled numbers. We think this mix will help our students most.”

Selby College has also received a positive response from applicants following the launch of its Head Start programme in May. The initiative aims to provide prospective students with course focussed materials and challenges to help them explore the range of courses and subjects on offer at Selby College, prior to them starting in September.