Coronavirus response update 24th April 2020

Today we have another example of how selfless and helpful our student community can be. Jack and Dan Perrin have been volunteering for Tameside South and Longdendale foodbank for the past few days, collecting donations from local people and businesses to make sure that there is enough in the food bank to support those families most in need. There are a credit to their families and to the college. These stories of charity and kindness are wonderful to see; I’m sure we all hope that there is a change in our society to become more community focused at the end of all this.

A few updates:

Today, Ofqual has launched its consultation on the awarding of grades for vocational, technical and other qualifications. The consultation can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofqual-consultation-on-awarding-vocational-and-technical-qualifications-in-summer-2020. I would encourage you to read this consultation and respond should you have any comments to make. Please contact Ofqual directly using the electronic form provided.

Also, the closing date for the A level, GCSE and EPQ consultation is Wednesday 29th April at 11.45 pm. The consultation can be reached at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/exceptional-arrangements-for-exam-grading-and-assessment-in-2020. If you have any contributions, please send these directly to Ofqual using the electronic form provided.

Unfortunately, we have still not received any further information about the laptop and 4G router scheme which was announced by Gavin Williamson on Sunday. We will share any information and the eligibility criteria with you once we receive it and will contact those students who are able to benefit from the scheme in due course.

For those of you with smaller children and younger siblings, Tameside Council are delivering Early Years’ service sessions on Facebook. The team are delivering story time, singing and other activities. These can be found at https://www.facebook.com/growintameside/

Thank you if you participated in the applause for NHS and key workers yesterday. Many former students work for the NHS and many more are key workers; they are working hard to protect and support all of us; they deserve our respect and thanks.

And finally, as the sun continues to shine, it is important to remember the rules of lockdown to stay at home so we can stay safe and protect our NHS. So,

• Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)
• If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times
• Wash your hands as soon as you get home
• Do not meet others, even friends or family. You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.

That’s everything for today. Have a good weekend

Take care, look after yourself, your families and each other; be patient and stay positive.

Anton