Dear Parents and Carers,

Happy New Year to you and your family. We hope the Christmas break has provide some rest and that COVID-19 has not caused you too much disruption over the last few weeks.

Please find below a reminder about the start of term, an update on face coverings in College and the new isolation rules.

The start of term

We wrote to you before the Christmas holidays to advise that we will be reopening our onsite test centre for the return to College as directed by the Department for Education. Students are therefore completing online learning from home on the 5th January whilst we test those students who requested on onsite test. Learning will be set via ClassCharts, so please ensure your child follows their normal Wednesday timetabled lessons and completes the work set.

We will be welcoming all students back into College on the 6th January as normal.

Students should enter via their appropriate year group gate and be at their tutor base by 8.20am.

After this time they should enter via Gate 2 (on Green Close) and the Telfer Centre on (Gipsy Lane) and sign in late at reception.

Green Close Year 7 - Gate 2 (main gate)

Year 8 top - Phear Park gate near our languages quad.

Year 9 Lower - Phear Park gate onto the basketball courts.
Gipsy Lane Year 10, 11 and Post 16 - Main Gate

Face coverings in classrooms

You may have seen in the news this week that all students will be asked to wear their face coverings (unless exempt) in classrooms until the review on the 26th January. We have been asking students to wear their face coverings in corridors and the College canteens since September to try and reduce transmission of the virus. Students must now wear their face coverings in all indoor areas in the College, including classrooms. If your child is exempt, please ensure they have their lanyard on them so staff are able to support them quickly.

Isolation guidance

Since Wednesday 22 December, the 10 day self-isolation period for people who record a positive PCR test result for COVID-19 has been reduced to 7 days in most circumstances, unless you cannot test for any reason. Individuals may now take LFD tests on day 6 and day 7 of their self-isolation period. Those who receive two negative test results are no longer required to complete 10 full days of self-isolation. The first test must be taken no earlier than day 6 of the self-isolation period and tests must be taken 24 hours apart.

If both these test results are negative, and your child does not have a high temperature, they may end their self-isolation after the second negative test result and return to college from day 8.

Anyone who is unable to take LFD tests will need to complete the full 10 day period of self-isolation. Further information is available in the stay at home: guidance for households with possible or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Students identified as a close contact of someone with COVID-19, should take an LFD test every day for seven days and continue to attend college as normal, unless they have a positive test result or develop symptoms at any time.

We are expecting a delivery of Lateral Flow tests this week, however, with the shortages that have been publicised we are unsure if these will arrive this week as advised. Once the tests do arrive, we will issue them to students as soon as we can.

Thank you as always for your ongoing support. We are very aware that the Christmas break may have not gone as planned for many students and staff. If there is anything we need to know to support your child in college, please do contact your child's tutor to update them. All tutor email addresses can be found on the Contact Us page of our website.

Best wishes ECC