As of 1st April, we move into the final phase of the Government’s ‘Living with Covid Guidance’ – the key changes are as follows:

  • The legal requirement to self-isolate ends.
  • The government will no longer provide free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public in England.
  • The Government removes the health and safety requirement for every employer to explicitly consider COVID-19 in their risk assessments

Specifically, for schools and colleges, the guidance now states

  • Adults with a positive COVID-19 test result should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days, which is when they are most infectious. For children and young people aged 18 and under, the advice will be 3 days
  • Regular asymptomatic testing is no longer recommended in any education or childcare setting, including in SEND, alternative provision and children’s social care settings. Therefore, settings will no longer be able to order test kits

However, with final exams and assessments, for so many of our students, now only a few weeks away, we would like to continue at Carmel with our current advice for all staff and students:

  • if you feel unwell please stay at home, if you feel you may have Covid symptoms, please try and access an LFT kit and test – these will now be provided for a small fee at pharmacies and other outlets.
  • If you test positive we ask that you stay away from College for 5 days and then return.

We have retained a small stock of LFT tests at college, but we are prioritising their use and distribution around the running of TAG3 Exams in April and external exams in May and June – we are no longer able to provide free access to test kits for staff or students.

All other guidance around face coverings etc. is also now removed. We will continue to leave these decisions to personal choice – we still have a small supply of disposable face coverings that are always available at the entrances to college.

As always, we will continue to review the situation and update our guidance for staff, students and their families.

Carmel College is committed to preventing the spread of COVID-19 in line with guidance from the government and our Union partners, Public Health and Infection Control.

Our campus is COVID Secure in line with Health and Safety Executive advice including:

  • Risk Assessments
  • Social Distancing
  • Cleaning, hygiene and handwashing
  • Communication
  • Supporting home working
  • Supporting vulnerable workers and students

Carmel College is actively participating in national conversations to ensure the Health and Safety of our staff and students at all times.