Further to our prior update, we wanted to inform you of the latest developments and reiterate previous information.
National Lockdown
The Government will review the national lockdown measures in due course but whilst the NHS is still under extraordinary pressure, as it is currently, we should expect that working and learning from home will remain with us for now. The national lockdown is helping to reduce case numbers, so we urge you to continue to follow the guidance of staying at home. The vaccine is starting to be delivered quickly, where it is most needed, and we should be optimistic about the future.
We know you will be keen to return to lessons in college, but this will not happen before February half-term and may not happen until some time after. As soon as we know more about a return date, we will let you know.
Online lessons
We are now towards the end of the third week of this six week half-term and you ought to be fully settled into the routine of online lessons. We would very much like your feedback on the quality of your online teaching and learning. Please take the time to complete this short survey.
If you have any problems with your college IT account or accessing your online lessons, please contact your lecturer or IT support by emailing IT.Servicedesk@fareham.ac.uk.
If you are unable to attend a lesson you should report your absence in the usual way.
Summer assessments
As we are sure you are aware, examinations will not be able to proceed in their usual format this year. There is an extensive review being undertaken at the moment by the Department for Education and Ofqual, to decide on the fairest way to award students the grades they deserve at the end of the year.
At this stage, we are not able to provide full details on what this means for the full range of qualifications taught at Fareham College, but we will provide you more information as soon as it is available.
However, we can say with confidence that your final grade will be determined on work completed both in the past and in the weeks and months ahead. So it’s really important you continue to attend your lessons and complete all set work to the highest possible standard so that your teachers can fully assess your grades.
You will shortly be issued with your Learner Progress Review. This will record the grade you are currently working at and your target grade. Achievement of targets grades will be subject to full completion of all set work to the appropriate standard and high levels of attendance to lessons.
To allow teachers time to plan for the changes to the summer assessments we will be adding an extra staff development day to the calendar. Thursday 1st April will be a non-teaching day.
Health and Wellbeing
May we take this opportunity to remind you that you can access emotional support and guidance from our Health and Wellbeing Team should you require, during normal college hours. If you feel this is something that you could benefit from then please do email safe@fareham.ac.uk The team are able to offer support 1:1 sessions via Teams chat, email or telephone.
We have also compiled a list of useful contacts at fareham.ac.uk/support
Previous Update (January 8th)
You will have seen the Prime Minister’s recent announcement that the country is now once again in a full lockdown – with colleges moving all timetabled lessons online until further notice. The guidance was updated on the 5th January that enabled schools, colleges and training providers the choice to offer students vocational exams, should schools and colleges judge it right to do so.
It is with regret therefore that we have decided to postpone the majority of our planned exams and assessments during this lockdown period based on the government guidelines. This decision to cancel has not been made lightly but the safety of our students and staff is paramount. We will let you know as soon as our awarding bodies have made a decision around the next steps regarding assessments.
We would like to reassure all our students that Ofqual and the Department for Education have confirmed that no learners will be disadvantaged by not sitting the January exams and we are currently working with Awarding Organisations to ascertain a way forward for all future exams this academic year. It is therefore vital that students continue to work hard and attend all lessons in order to achieve the highest grades possible. Furthermore, whether you progress onto Higher Education, an Apprenticeship or employment, universities and employers expect you to be ready for the next phase of learning/your career, so it is imperative that you continue to focus on your studies to enable you to gain the knowledge and skills required for the next stage of your education/career.
Our curriculum teams are committed to ensuring that you will not be disadvantaged in anyway and that you receive accessible, high quality teaching and learning whilst in lockdown. Please ensure that you logon to all your timetabled lessons, including English and Maths and engage fully in your programme to support your progression and ultimately the completion of your qualifications.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind you that you can access emotional support and guidance from our Health and Wellbeing Team should you require, during normal college hours. If you feel this is something that you could benefit from then please do email safe@fareham.ac.uk The team are able to offer support 1:1 sessions via Teams chat, email or telephone.
We have compiled a list of useful contacts at fareham.ac.uk/support
The following external agencies are also available to help support you, so if you require, do not hesitate to get in touch with them:
https://www.hampshirescp.org.uk/
999 – In an emergency
111 – for non-urgent mental health support
Text “SHOUT” to 85258
116 123 – Samaritans
We will update you with any changes and further guidance as it becomes available, but please continue to check your college email, our social media channels and our website to stay up to date during lockdown.
Stay safe, and we look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we can.
Previous Update (January 4th)
In light of the Prime Minister’s announcement this evening regarding the National Lockdown, we will implement further measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff.
ALL lessons will be delivered online until February half term. Students are to follow their usual timetable, but should you have any questions, please contact your lecturer in the first instance.
Scheduled exams are cancelled while we wait for further information from the Government regarding how qualifications will be assessed.
EHCP and vulnerable students will be contacted by the Health and Wellbeing and Student Support teams, however if any student with an EHCP or current social worker involvement wishes to attend their online learning from the iLRC at the Bishopsfield Road campus, then please contact us by emailing info@fareham.ac.uk. Alternatively, if any student is unable to access online learning due to equipment or access issues, please contact your lecturer in the first instance.
For students entitled to free college meals, we are looking at ways of continuing to provide support and these students will be contacted to confirm arrangements.
There will be no catering service at any of the College campuses from Wednesday 6 January.
Our Health and Wellbeing Team are available to help and advise if you are feeling anxious or worried. Please email safe@fareham.ac.uk and a member of the team will be in touch.
The Government advice is if you have a new continuous cough and/or high temperature and/or you lose your sense of taste or smell, you should obtain a test and self-isolate at home in line with current government guidance. If you come into close contact with someone else who has tested positive, then you must self-isolate at home in line with current government guidance and obtain a test if you develop symptoms.
If you experience any of these symptoms and you are required to self-isolate, or if you test positive for COVID-19, please let us know by emailing covid@fareham.ac.uk.
Work Experience and Industry placements
All Work Experience and Industry placements should not proceed during lockdown. However, any exceptions to this need to be agreed with the College; please contact the Business Plus Team by emailing business@fareham.ac.uk. As with exams, we will review this once further guidelines have been released and it is deemed safe for you to continue with planned placements.
Please remember to check your college email account and keep an eye on our website and social media channels for further updates.
Additional advice on Coronavirus
