Covid Update

On Tuesday 29 March, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, set out the next steps for living with COVID-19 in England from Friday 1 April.

Updated guidance advises:

• Adults with the symptoms of a respiratory infection, and who have a high temperature or feel unwell, should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they feel well enough to resume normal activities and no longer have a high temperature.
• Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. They can return to college when they no longer have a high temperature, and are well enough to attend.
• Adults with a positive COVID-19 test result should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 5 days, which is when they are most infectious. For children and young people aged 18 and under, the advice is 3 days.

For education and childcare settings from Friday 1 April:

• Regular asymptomatic testing is no longer recommended in any education or childcare setting, including in SEND, alternative provision and children’s social care settings. Therefore, we will no longer be able to order test kits .

National Education Union (NEU) strike action

As you are probably aware from media coverage, the National Education Union (NEU) has declared seven days of strike action on behalf of its teacher members during February and March 2023.

The 4 dates that may affect SGS are:

• Wednesday 1st February
• Thursday 2nd March
• Wednesday 15th March
• Thursday 16th March

We are currently planning to ensure that the College operates as normal, and we are advising all learners to attend college as planned unless your tutor has advised you that they will be striking on any of the dates mentioned.