News

Latest Update

Monday 23 March 2020 - 12:12

At this time, in accordance with Government requirements, East Surrey College and John Ruskin College (Orbital South Colleges) will only deliver on-site learning to ‘vulnerable’ students. This is for students where parents/carers have confirmed they will not be keeping their young person at home to learn. This also applies to KS4 students at John Ruskin College.

Our teams have been contacting the respective families and carers of all relevant students to confirm arrangements and to communicate the plans for the partial opening of the various Colleges.

If any students or their parents/carers have not been contacted and understand that they are in this category then please contact the College Support Team on ghurrion@esc.ac.uk or Tracy.Andrews@johnruskin.ac.uk.

Friday 20 March 2020 - 09:00

In accordance with Government requirements, East Surrey College and John Ruskin College (Orbital South Colleges) will continue to deliver on-site learning to "vulnerable" students, as per the Government's definition. This will also include KS4 students at John Ruskin College. We are contacting the respective families and carers regarding these plans. 

Wednesday 18 March 2020 - 20:20

The Government has today announced that schools and colleges are to close as part of their strategy to reduce the spread of coronavirus. 

As a result, East Surrey College and John Ruskin College (Orbital South Colleges) will not be delivering on-site learning effective as of Monday 23 March 2020. 

We have been planning for such an eventuality, working with our current students and staff to ensure they are set up and ready to maintain their learning and teaching by remote means over the coming weeks.

We will endeavour to keep our day to day business functions open remotely.  This means we will be answering parent/carer, student, employer and other queries by email and/or by phone. 

For our current students, it is essential that learning continues to take place remotely so that they continue to work towards their qualifications.  We have been trialling online learning over the past weeks and all students should have been given advice on how to access their learning. 

This includes:

• Accessing learning materials and assignments on eZone (ESC)/Google Classroom (JRC)
• Taking part in delivered, interactive virtual learning sessions via Microsoft Teams (ESC) or Google Classroom (JRC)
• Accessing CENTURY web-based programme for English and Maths learning/revision

For ease of communication, the following key email contact details are below:

Examinations

The government has confirmed that GCSE examinations and assessments will not be taking place in May or June.  We await further information on this. 

Applications for 2020/21

Applications for 2020/21 Full-time, Part-time and Higher Education courses can continue to be made online with interviews taking place by phone or via online services.

These are extraordinary times, however, we will use all means available to us to ensure that our business and learning continue throughout the time the College is required to be closed to learning.  It is inevitable that there will be some teething problems but please be assured that we will do our utmost to ensure a smooth transition to externally delivered services.  We very much appreciate your understanding and support.

Jayne Dickinson

Chief Executive, Orbital South Colleges & Principal, East Surrey College

Tuesday 17 March 2020 - 19:55

In line with current Government guidance for schools and colleges, East Surrey College remains open at this time and we ask students to please attend classes as normal unless:

• They have a high temperature or a new continuous cough
• A member of their household shows symptoms that may be caused by coronavirus

In both these cases, students must not come into College and are required to self-isolate for 14 days, and notify their tutor immediately.

Should the Government decide that all schools and colleges should close, the College has planned for this impact, and all further announcements will be made via this site.

We are also asking full-time students, and their parents/carers to take steps now in order to be ready for a closure decision.  Our tutors have been advising students on how learning will continue and the methods of communication to enable this. 

Additionally:

• Teaching staff are uploading material onto the College’s eZone and will continue to do so for as long as necessary
• If students have any difficulties with studying from home or are unable to access online resources, they should contact their tutor straightaway

In the event of closure, our Client and Student Services will continue to operate remotely so that information, advice and guidance can continue. 

We will continue to provide updates here in response to any further changes in the Government advice.

Thank you for your understanding.

Monday 16 March 2020 15:00

On 16 March, the Department for Education and Public Health England issued updated guidance for education settings on COVID-19.

The guidance includes confirmation that:

• Students and staff should stay at home if they are unwell with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature to avoid spreading infection to others. Otherwise they should attend education or work as normal.
• If students or staff become unwell on site with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature they should be sent home.
• Current advice remains in place: no education or children’s social care setting should close in response to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case unless advised to do so by Public Health England.

We will continue to follow the Government advice, and as an organisation our first priority is to support the wellbeing of all students and staff, and we thank you for your support during these difficult times.

Thursday 12 March 2020

We know that many of our community will be feeling anxious about the coronavirus messages that are being shared in the media. We can confirm that the College continues to remain open at this time.

What action is the College taking to support students, visitors and staff?
The College continues to monitor the constantly changing position and is in regular contact with the Association of Colleges and Public Health England (PHE), It is our policy to follow their advice, together with guidance from the NHS ensuring that we can provide the most up-to-date advice for our students, staff and visitors. 

Posters providing information and guidance on hand washing from Public Health England are displayed around the College to help share the latest messages, and hand sanitisers are available in key locations. It is imperative that everyone maintains good hand and personal hygiene as this supports prevention of spreading the disease.

Is the College still open?
Students should attend as normal according to their timetables. There are no reasons or plans to close the College at this time. Should this change in any way, the decision would be taken in accordance with Public Health England/Department for Education.

What should a student do if they think they present with symptoms of coronavirus whilst at College?
Our stance is as always that if a student has a temperature or feels unwell, they should not come to College. Our staff team have already been liaising with all students about how they can play a role in keeping themselves and others safe and preventing the spread of infection. If a student feels ill while at College, they should notify their tutor immediately or another member of the staff team particularly if they display any of the symptoms of coronavirus. Our team will then be able to assist them to get the help they need. We do have isolation rooms available within the College where the student can work with our team until they are collected by their parent/carer.

What is the College’s position on attending College if I have recently returned from overseas travel?
During term-time, we do not expect students to have travelled overseas as this affects their progress on their course. However, should any student or a close relative have recently returned from a country of concern, then they should contact their tutor by phone or email who will seek guidance from the College Executive team. If you have been out of the country, then please check this list as it continues to be updated daily.

In addition if you have recently travelled overseas and have any concerns about your health you should contact the free NHS 111 telephone helpline and check the www.111.nhs.uk website for the latest official advice.

Further information
The College Executive team will continue to monitor the situation and will provide further updates as the situation evolves.

Below you will find the latest guide shared by BBC News on how to stay safe and stop the spread of the virus. Visit www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51711227 to find out more.

Source: BBC News

To stay up-to-date with the latest Government information, please refer to Public Health England advice.