The Ongoing Closure of the College
from Friday 20 March 2020
Capel Manor College is committed to safeguarding the health, safety and wellbeing of all students and staff. All schools and colleges have been asked to close their doors for the majority of students from 5pm on Friday 20 March 2020 until further notice. This means that Capel Manor College, following Public Health England and the Department of Education guidance, will be closing all normal teaching. The College will continue with all essential functions so you can be assured that all of our animals and plants will be cared for during this time, and any queries will be answered.
Supporting our students is our priority, and tutors are working through Moodle to provide online learning resources to ensure students keep up-to-date with coursework. Students should log in to Moodle and visit course pages where there is coursework to complete and a forum allowing dialogue with classmates and tutors (please see the attached Moodle user guide). Tutors are setting work and tasks with clear deadlines, and will continue to support students, and track progress against targets. If there are any difficulties with Moodle please email Jed Keenan on the moodle-helpdesk@capel.ac.uk
We are awaiting advice regarding the plans for exams and will communicate this with students, parents and carers, as soon as we have this information.
Please note that we are not expecting students to attend work experience during this time.
We are awaiting advice regarding the plans for exams and will communicate this with relevant students, parents and carers as soon as we have more information.
The College remains open to students with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and those whose guardians or parents' work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or work in critical sectors and are unable to stay safe at home.
More information about critical sectors on the Government website.
The College is in the process of planning for this provision and will quickly be in contact with the relevant parents and carers. If a student falls into one of these categories and would like to continue to come into College or have any queries please email learningsupport@capel.ac.uk. A tutor will contact you to make arrangements.
The College's Student Support & Counselling Team provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space for students to discuss any concerns they may have:
If you have a safeguarding concern please email safeguarding@capel.ac.uk or call 01992 707027
If you have queries relating to learning support please email learningsupport@capel.ac.uk
If you are worried and would like further support please email counselling@capel.ac.uk
Further support for wellbeing can be found at https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/
Please do remember that tutors and staff are still here to support you and we are at the end of a phone call, email or Moodle message. When you need any help or support during these difficult times, please just ask.
The latest Government advice issued by the Department of Health and Social Care and PHE is found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public
NHS information is found here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Public Health England information is found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england
The Department of Education coronavirus helpline is also available to answer questions about COVID-19 relating to education and children’s social care. Staff, parents and students can contact the helpline as follows:
Exam boards will 'ask teachers to submit their judgement about the grade that they believe the student would have received if exams had gone ahead'.
The exam boards will then combine this information with other relevant data, including prior attainment, and use this information to produce a calculated grade for each student, which will be a best assessment of the work they have put in.
When pupils 'do not believe the correct process has been followed' then they can appeal.
When students don’t feel a calculated grade reflects their performance then pupils can also resit an exam 'at the earliest reasonable opportunity, once schools are open again'.
Students also have the option to sit their exams in summer 2021.
For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/government/news/further-details-on-exams-and-grades-announced