Covid-19 Updates

The health and wellbeing of our students and staff continues to be of upmost importance. Therefore whilst the Government legislation may have changed, we ask our college community to act with integrity and caution as we all adjust to the new guidance. With this in mind:

• Rapid covid tests will continue to be available from the college reception and we would ask all students and staff to continue to test twice a week.
• We politely request that anyone testing positive or displaying covid symptoms reports this to us and refrains from coming into college for the next 5 days.
• Whilst face coverings are no longer required on campus, anyone wishing to wear one is very welcome to do so and we ask everyone to respect each other’s choices.
• Hand santisers will remain in place around the college and we encourage everyone to continue to wash or sanitise their hands regularly throughout the day.
  
  Thank you for your continued support in helping keep college a safe place to study and work.

From 27 January, face coverings are no longer required to be worn in communal areas of the college.
However, this is a personal choice and students and staff who would prefer to keep wearing them are most welocme to do so.

Students travelling to and from college by public transport should follow this wider advice on the use of face coverings whilst on their journey

From today (Monday 17 January 2022), if you are self-isolating with Covid-19 you can reduce your isolation period to 5 full days if you test negative with a lateral flow device (LFD) test on both day 5 and day 6 and you do not have a temperature. For example, if you test negative on the morning of day 5 and the morning of day 6, you can return to College on day 6.

Your first test must be taken no earlier than day 5 of the self-isolation period (day 1 is the day you test positive or 1st day of your symptoms), and the second must be taken the following day (24 hours apart). All test results should be reported to NHS Test and Trace, the College, your tutor and emailing c19students@southport.ac.uk

If either of your tests are positive, you should continue to self-isolate until you get negative results from two LFD tests on consecutive days or until you have completed 10 full days of self-isolation, whichever is earliest.

If you are unable to take LFD tests or continue to have a temperature you will need to complete the full 10 day period of self-isolation.

Term starts again for students on Thursday January 6th. Please ensure that before you leave for college that morning, you have completed an "at home" lateral flow Covid-19 test and that the result is negative.

From then on, please continue to test twice weekly.

Should you receive a positive result, please isolate at home immediately.

Thank you for helping keep our college a safe place to study and work.

In line with new Government Guidance, from Thursday January 6th, face coverings must now be worn whilst in all the communal areas of college and also during lessons, until further notice. Please ensure you bring your face covering with you.

Thank you for your co-operation

Even if we don't have symptoms, we may still have the virus and be able to pass it on to others, so all students and staff are asked to continue to ensure they are self testing for Covid -19 using a rapid LFD testing device, before leaving for College, at least twice a week.

You can collect a box of LFD tests from the College reception at any time.

Anyone testing positive should isolate at home immediately and book a PCR test through the normal channel - https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.

Thank you for helping to keep KGV a safe place to study and work.

We have been advised of a Covid-19 Vaccination walk-in clinic for 16 & 17 year olds running on Friday 3rd September 2021 at The Southport Centre for Health & Wellbeing on Houghton Street, Southport. It is open from 1-5pm and all 16 & 17 year olds who are not yet vaccinated are encouraged to attend.

Students will be asked to complete two LFD tests in college on their return in September. It is necessary for tests to be administered between three and five days apart and we are currently planning for testing to take place on-site from 1st September 2021 – 17th September 2021.

During their second test, students will be provided with self-testing LFD kits to enable them to home-test twice weekly until the end of September 2021.

We will publish further information in the coming weeks.

From Monday 19th July 2021 there has been a change to the Government guidance regarding Covid-19 restrictions.

Contact tracing Close contacts will be identified via NHS Test and Trace and colleges will no longer be expected to undertake contact tracing. Close contacts from a college setting will only be traced by NHS Test and Trace where the positive case specifically identifies the individual as being a close contact.

Self-isolation From 16 August 2021, adults who have been ‘double-jabbed’ and students under the age of 18 years old will no longer be required to self-isolate if they are contacted by NHS Test and Trace. Instead, students and staff in college will be informed they have been in close contact with a positive case and advised to take a PCR test.

Face coverings Students will no longer be required to wear face coverings in classrooms or in communal areas, or whilst travelling to/from college on public transport. In the event of a local outbreak, face coverings may be reinstated.

Ventilation Classrooms and offices must remain well-ventilated, comfortable environments. LFD testing Students will be requested to take two LFD tests in the college on-site test centre on their return in September. In addition, they will take twice-weekly LFD tests at home until the end of September 2021.

Positive LFD test results Students with a positive LFD test result should self-isolate and book a confirmatory PCR test. If the PCR test result is negative, the individual can return to college (as long as he/she does not have Covid-19 symptoms).

Risk assessment / contingency plans The college will continue to be required to have a full risk assessment in place for the new college year and a contingency plan for managing a Covid-19 outbreak in college or the local community.

Remote learning Colleges will continue to be required to provide remote education for those students who are not able to attend for Covid-19 related reasons (typically self-isolation).

From Monday 17th May 2021 there has been a change to the Government guidance on the use face coverings in colleges.

In classrooms you may now remove your face coverings if you prefer to do so. For students who are involved in our practical courses please follow industry guidelines as directed by your tutor which maybe slightly different.

If you can’t keep 2m away please consider keeping your face covering on.

In communal areas such as corridors, canteens and LLCs masks are still required for both staff and students.

Please note it is still a legal requirement that you wear face coverings on public transport.

Regular twice weekly asymptomatic home testing, social distancing and enhanced hygiene are all still important measures when attending College. These actions will help to minimise infections of C19 in the local area.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your commitment and effort in bringing the number of cases in Southport and Sefton more broadly down to a safer level. Your continued support will help us all have a better and safer summer.

Find out how this year's centre assessed grades are being calculated and answers to more frequently asked questions.

FAQs: Teacher Assessed Grades

Please note: These FAQs are correct at the time of writing (15/4/21) and will be updated when we receive further guidance from the exam boards.

From Monday 19th April, we will be switching back to full time face to face lessons for all our students. This is as a result of low Covid rates in our local area, is in line with Government guidance and we want to reassure you that all lessons will continue to be operated in a Covid secure way.

We ask all staff and students to continue to wear a face covering in communal areas and where social distancing cannot be maintained and to keep doing their twice weekly tests and reporting the results as advised. This really is appreciated and helps keep our college community safe. We are looking forward to seeing you all on Monday!

Onsite testing is a really positive step forward in the Covid-19 battle and we urge all our students and staff to take part. From the start of next term we are switching to home testing and all students have been sent a letter outlining the process and explaining how to collect their testing kits. A copy of the letter is available below. Thank you for your cooperation and helping to keep college a covid safe environment.

Letter re Home Testing.

NHS: A guide to regular rapid testing

GOV.UK: Ordering rapid flow tests online

We are now able to share that today OFQUAL have confirmed that this year, grades for A Level, GCSE and vocational qualifications will be awarded by individual schools and colleges and that teachers will assess the standard at which their students are performing, based only on what has been taught. More information is available here

Please be assured that we will be working fully with OFQUAL on this process and are now awaiting further guidance. All information will be shared with our students as soon as possible.

Please ensure that you continue to engage with all lessons and submit any work as applicable as no cut off dates have yet been issued and everything you continue to learn will be an asset to your future progression. We also ask you to appreciate that as of today, tutors are now unable to engage in conversations with students or parents regarding possible grades.

Thank you for everyone for their patience and understanding to date.

Onsite testing is a really positive step forward in the Covid-19 battle and we urge all our students and staff to take part. A letter outlining the process and containing a link for you to give consent to be tested will be emailed to all students (via their college email) today. Please look out for it and then click the link to complete the online consent form as soon as you can. A letter explaining the process will also be sent out, in the post, to all paremts/guardians of students under the age of 18. Let’s work together to help keep college a covid safe environment.

Letter to parents.

Letter to students.

We are so looking forward having our students (and staff!) back on site shortly, with second years returning on either Monday 8th or Tuesday 9th and first years on Thursday 11th.

Teaching face to face is what we love doing best and it will be great to see everyone. Course tutors will be confirming on site timetables with you this week, so make sure you keep in touch.

We know that some of you may be feeling anxious or worried, but please believe that we have everything possible in place to keep you safe. So grab your face mask, find your ID badge and let’s fling open the college doors once again!

We are now able to share that today OFQUAL have confirmed that this year, grades for A Level, GCSE and vocational qualifications will be awarded by individual schools and colleges and that teachers will assess the standard at which their students are performing, based only on what has been taught. More information is available here

Please be assured that we will be working fully with OFQUAL on this process and are now awaiting further guidance. All information will be shared with our students as soon as possible.

Please ensure that you continue to engage with all lessons and submit any work as applicable as no cut off dates have yet been issued and everything you continue to learn will be an asset to your future progression. We also ask you to appreciate that as of today, tutors are now unable to engage in conversations with students or parents regarding possible grades.

Thank you for everyone for their patience and understanding to date.

Following on from the Prime Minister’s earlier announcement, we are delighted to hear that students will be allowed to return to onsite learning from March 8th and we will be returning to a blended learning model.

We can’t wait to see you all and although we are awaiting the guidance form the Department For Education we are already busy working through our plans to get learners back into classes. Of course the safety and happiness of our students and staff is always our utmost priority. Therefore please bear with us and full details will be shared very shortly. Please continue to keep yourself and others safe and we will see you very soon!

There are currently no changes to the guidance for schools and colleges in Southport, despite the discovery of 1 case of the new variant of Covid 19. Therefore, students who currently have arrangements to access learning on campus are still welcome to attend college as they did before, in line with government guidance. All other students will continue to receive remote teaching.

We urge you all to follow the rules and stay safe. It won’t be forever! Our student support teams are available for anyone who needs them and we look forward to getting back to face to face teaching very soon.

We have been advised that a case of the new variant of Covid19 has been detected in the Southport area and as a result Sefton Council are rolling out a further testing programme, with residents of PR9 being asked to get tested.

We encourage all our students and staff to participate in the testing if applicable to prevent further spreading and to continue to follow all the government guidance to ensure you and your families stay safe.

Please remember that our student support team are available if you need them.

Following the Government update today, we will be continuing with remote learning until at least March 8th.

Thank you to all our students for attending their virtual lessons and engaging with their tutors so far this term, you are fantastic! We know it’s not always easy, but please keep going! Everything you are learning now is essential to your course and important for your future progression. We will continue to follow Government updates and look forward to having you back on site as soon as possible

You can find answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding the impact of this current lockdown on College life in our student portal.

It's really important to stay fit and healthy during lockdown. With this in mind Hayley from our Sports Department has shared the news that Everlast are offering free online fitness classes everyday via their Facebook page and YouTube channel. Why not give them a try?

Don't forget that access to all the platforms you will need for remote learning during this lockdown period, can be found on our Student Portal. If you are having difficulty accessing anything please speak to either your course tutor or progress tutor who will be happy to help.

Following advice from the DfE, the external examinations and assessments planned for January will go ahead.

We have taken this path, as we are committed to ensuring students have every opportunity to achieve, but we are aware not everyone will be in a position to attend and we will continue to work with individual students, DfE and Ofqual as more details emerge about exams for the remainder of the academic year.

Please rest assured that the College is Covid secure and learners will be safely distanced throughout the examination process.

Students in receipt of an Education Health and Care plan who would like additional support during this period, should please email Learningsupport@southport.ac.uk and we can make individual arrangements as appropriate.

Whilst we are aware under normal circumstances many students would be colecting a Travel Pass over the next few days, please do not travel to college to attempt to collect your pass as the passes will not be available whilst students are remote learning.

If you still need a pass due to your inidividual circumstances, please email studentfinanceteam@southport.ac.uk for assistance.

The Government have announced that these will now be cancelled. We are awaiting formal clarification on how grades will now be awarded and will share this with you as soon as possible. It is important however that you keep on learning with us. There are still key elements of the syllabus to cover all of which will be beneficial to your progression, both for future study and career.

We are still waiting for guidance from the Government and examining bodies regarding vocational and technical examinations this summer. We know this is frustrating, but please rest assured that as soon as we have anything to share, this will be communicated on our website, social media pages and directly via your tutors.

Make sure you keep learning with us. There is still lots of the curriculum to cover and everything you learn now will really help with your future progression and career success.

Thanks for your patience!

If you develop any Covid-19 symptoms, however mild, Sefton Council have outllined the specific actions you need to take, to help keep KGV a Covid Safe environment.

Covid-19 in an Educational Setting

Please see the updated advice from the NHS regarding when students should and shouldn't request a coronavirus test.

NHS Advice - When to Get a Coronavirus Test

Its partners are working hard to ensure children, young people and families get the support they need during this time. This document outlines the support available from each partner and how this support can be accessed.

CAMHS: Covid-19 Updates

We want to keep KGV College a Covid-Safe environment, so face coverings are now compulsory for both students and staff when walking around the communal areas of college. Please remember to bring one with you each day.

Parents and carers; please open and read this document.

Provided by North West HE & FE Regional Prevent Coordinator, Department for Education, it addresses digital safety during Covid-19, in particular, safeguarding from harmful influences online.

Safeguarding from harmful influences online