Coronavirus (COVID-19) update

Updated: 27 March 2020

Following the Government’s announcement on Monday 23 March of more restrictions on people’s movements, all teaching, learning and working is now being delivered online and all our college sites are now closed.

Online delivery of lessons started last week and I am pleased that we have had very positive feedback from staff and students. I am especially impressed with the maturity and commitment displayed by our students during this time and I am confident that together we will maintain our high standard of teaching and learning.

Students who qualify for them will continue to receive their bursary payments, and their Free School Meal allocation will be added in cash to their bursary payments going forward.

Cancellation of Summer exams

We know that the cancellation of this year’s summer exams (including A Levels, GCSEs and other qualifications) is very unsettling and we want to reassure you that affected students will be able to move on as planned to the next stage of their lives, whether that’s starting university, college or sixth form courses, or getting a job or an apprenticeship.

On Friday 20 March, the Department for Education (DfE) announced that it plans – before the end of July – to give each GCSE, A and AS level student a ‘calculated grade’ that reflects their performance as fairly as possible. They will work with the exam boards, and with schools and colleges, to ensure this is consistently applied to all students. And to make sure this is fair for everyone, the Government will provide clear guidance to us on how to do this.

If any student or their parent feels that the calculated grade doesn’t reflect their performance, they will be able to sit an exam once schools and colleges are open again. Students could also choose to sit exams in the summer of 2021.

Universities have been asked to be flexible and do all they can to support students and ensure they can progress to higher education.

The Government still has a lot of work to do, and a lot more detail is needed on how all the above will work in practice. They will keep us updated, so when we get more information, we will share it with you.

If you are studying for a vocational qualification, things will be different for you too. For example, Pearson (the awarding body for BTECs) has said: “We feel confident we can award grades for students finishing this academic year by working closely with teachers to collate completed student grades, taking into account student progress on assignments and course work to date and by sampling and verifying student work. We are working to understand the implications of the current context for BTECs and other applied general qualifications and will communicate with learners as soon as we can.”

Staff and student safety is our main priority, and we continue to follow advice from the Government, Public Health England and the Department for Education. We very much hope to be able to reopen our sites as soon as it is safe to do so, but we must take our lead from the Government. We will provide further information as soon as we can and will keep our college websites and social media feeds updated in the meantime.

Useful links

• Public Health England Updates
• NHS Health Advice

Thank you for your continued support and keep safe.

Roy O’Shaughnessy
Capital City College Group, Chief Executive