COVID – 19

Our Response to COVID 19

Expanse Learning is committed to proactively managing the current situation regarding the Covid-19 pandemic.

As an education and care provider we receive guidance from Government and local authorities. This guidance forms the basis upon which Expanse Learning makes its decisions. Our position is constantly informed by published guidance from both Government and local authorities in both education and care, which is monitored daily.

  • National or local lockdown restrictions change
  • The organisational approach does not work as expected
  • The required work changes
  • Someone in the workplace is diagnosed with COVID-19

 

Many of the infection control and testing procedures for students and staff that we have put in place are above and beyond those initially recommended by the Government, Public Health England. These high levels of infection control will continue and will be reviewed as we receive further guidance.

As the national restrictions change, we flex between a range of curriculum options to students, moving from ‘bubble’ working to including more community-based learning and workplace opportunities.

We operate a Risk Assessment that is updated to conform with Government guidance as it changes. In the event of another outbreak or local/national restrictions we will implement full/part control measures from the as per our 2021/22 COVID full site operational risk assessment.

COVID-19 Remote Learning

We have been committed to enabling students to learn throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. To support students during home learning we provided personalised learning alongside access to virtual sessions via Microsoft Teams. All learning activities are tailored to individual students and the goals and targets that they work towards whilst at college.

 

Covid-19 Outbreak Management Plan

We have created a Covid-19 Outbreak Management Plan to mitigate the risks associated with Coronavirus. The Government has made it a national priority that education and childcare settings should continue to operate as normally as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. A summary of this plan can be seen below, and the full plan can be made available on request.

Summary of the COVID 19 Outbreak Management Plan

The Outbreak Management Plan outlines how Expanse Learning would operate if any of the additional measures due to a Variant of Concern were recommended for our setting or area. This plan includes how Expanse Learning will ensure every student receives the quantity and quality of education and care to which they are normally entitled.

  • endeavour to keep any measures in education to the minimum number of settings or groups possible, and for the shortest amount of time possible
  • Keep all measures under regular review and lift them as soon as the evidence supports doing so
  • Not consider measures affecting education in isolation, but as part of a broader package of measures.
  • Only consider attendance restrictions as a last resort. Where measures include attendance restrictions, the Department for Education (DfE) advise on any groups that should be prioritised. 

We consult with the Health and Safety Manager and elected staff representatives on:

  • Cleaning, sanitising and hygiene practices to ensure that staff work safely
  • Social distancing to reduce of the risk of transmission between people at work
  • Organising the workplace to reduce the likelihood that Covid-19 spreads and to allow everyone to work safely
  • Sharing information and guidance to ensure staff know how to work safely and understand the rules and guidelines
  • Managing wellbeing and support to ensure that staff feel supported and listened to with their wellbeing looked after whilst continuing to work

Risk Assessment Overview

Our use of the 16 to 19 Tuition Fund

The 16 to 19 Tuition Fund is one-off additional funding from the Department for Education for the current academic year to support learners where learning was disrupted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

We will use the fund to provide 1:1 and small group interventions to enable students with SEND to fully re-engage with learning, community and employment activities and recover lost skills, behaviours, confidence or to address gaps in learning resulting from the impact of self-isolation during lockdowns; examples include:  

  • Additional support for students to recover lost progress towards Education Health and Care Plan and transition outcomes.
  • Additional support for students on work-related learning programmes to rebuild employment and vocational skills.
  • Additional emotional health and wellbeing support for individual students to help them manage heightened anxieties, increase social interaction, and rebuild positive peer relationships.
  • Additional practical support to enable students to recover confidence and access employer placement opportunities.
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