An update from NSCG Principal, Karen Dobson OBE

1. NEW STUDENTS JOINING NSCG IN SEPTEMBER:

Firstly, welcome to NSCG! We hope you enjoy your time with us and are feeling prepared for the exciting adventure ahead of you. From learning something new and having more flexibility in your learning, to making new friends and getting involved in cross college life, our main priority is you and ensuring that you are on-track to achieve your goals at NSCG.

We understand that starting college is a big change and some of you may be feeling anxious and still have questions, all we can say is, try not to worry. You’ll quickly be introduced to your personal tutor, who is part of your course team and there to help you with all aspects of your college programme. In addition we have a large team of specialist staff in our Student Services Team. You’ll meet some of this team during the first few weeks of term and see posters around the College with their contact details. So, when you do start college and if you do have any queries or concerns, they’re here to help.

By now you should have an idea of when you will be starting college and been given an enrolment date but if you’re still unsure about anything, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your course faculty team or email info@nscg.ac.uk. Please also ensure you read point 3 (below) regarding COVID-19 information for ALL students.

At some point during your first few weeks at college, I’ll get the opportunity to meet you, so, see you soon!

2. CURRENT NSCG STUDENTS WHO ARE RETURNING IN SEPTEMBER:

Well, where did the summer break go? We’re all excited to be welcoming you back to NSCG for what we hope will be a much more normal college experience.

During the past year, you really did show us what you’re made of! You quickly and easily embraced new ways of working and kept on top of your studies when we had to move to remote learning due to COVID-19 restrictions. We are hoping for a much less turbulent year but the resilience you and the staff team showed throughout the last academic year demonstrated that together we can deal with anything that comes our way.

By now you should have an idea of when you will be starting college and been given an enrolment date but if you’re still unsure about anything, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your course faculty team. Please also ensure you read point 3 (below) regarding COVID-19 information for ALL students.

3. COVID-19 INFORMATION FOR ALL STUDENTS:

COVID-19 LATERAL FLOW TESTING

We received Department for Education guidance recently to help us prepare for the new academic year and although COVID-19 restrictions are easing across the country, it goes without saying that learner and staff safety will continue to remain our top priority.

If you have COVID-19 self-testing kits readily available at home, we encourage you to take a test before you arrive for your first day of college. As it stands, the advice for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms remains unchanged, so you should NOT come to college and must inform us of your absence via the student absence line, if you do have symptoms or receive a positive COVID-19 test.

From the start of term, on-site COVID-19 lateral flow testing (LFT) will be taking place. We have a ‘tried and tested’ programme already in place for testing at NSCG, in an effort to identify asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. Whilst the decision to take a test remains optional, all learners and staff will be strongly encouraged to participate in testing to allow us to quickly identify any asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and ultimately, keep our college community as safe as possible. Tests will be self-administered and will be carried out with the support and supervision of fully trained staff.

WHEN WILL COVID-19 TESTING TAKE PLACE?

New students: On-site testing will take place from Tuesday 31st August, as part of your taster and enrolment session. If you’re not sure when this is yet, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your course faculty team.

Returning students: On-site testing will take place from Monday 6th September, straight after you have completed the official enrolment onto your study programme. If you’re not sure when this is yet, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with your course faculty team.

COVID-19 TESTING AT HOME

All students will be encouraged to continue with home testing using COVID-19 lateral flow tests (LFT). Home testing kits will be provided to all students during your first week, but there will also be some available to collect from the reception areas.

PPE INSIDE THE COLLEGE ENVIRONMENT

If you were studying with us last year, you’ll notice that lots of the PPE and one-way walking systems have been removed when you return. However, hand sanitising stations are still located throughout both campuses, which we encourage you to use on entry to the College site, and regularly throughout the day. Our enhanced campus cleaning regime is still in place.

If you want to wear a face covering, this is optional, but not mandatory. Disposable face coverings will still be available for you to use and can be collected from reception.

4. COVID-19 VACCINE

If you’re aged 16 or over, you’re now eligible to receive your COVID-19 vaccine, which you can get a local walk-in clinic. Although the NHS will contact you when it's your turn to get the vaccine, there are walk-in clinics available for you to attend where you can get your vaccine there and then.

We strongly encourage all those who are eligible to have the vaccine to do so, so that you can enjoy the full-range of opportunities available at NSCG without disruption to your studies. Ensuring our college community is as safe as possible is our top priority.

You can find your nearest drop-in clinic here.

5. WE HAVE PLACES STILL AVAILABLE FOR THIS SEPTEMBER

If you haven’t yet secured a place at college for this September, we have places still available on a wide-range of courses. So, it’s not too late to apply to Staffordshire’s leading college! You can find all of our available courses to study on our website, nscg.ac.uk, and if you want to visit the College and chat to staff about your options, we have an Open Event at each campus taking place on:

Stafford College: Wednesday 1 September, 4pm – 7pm. If you’re interested in coming along, please pre-register your attendance at nscg.ac.uk/scevents

Newcastle College: Thursday 2 September, 4pm – 7pm. If you’re interested in coming along, please pre-register your attendance at nscg.ac.uk/ncevents

If you’re unable to attend an Open Event but would still like to speak with staff about your options or receive information, advice or guidance before applying, you can email info@nscg.ac.uk or call 01782 715111 (Newcastle College) or 01785 223800 (Stafford College).

As always, thank you for your continued support.

We’ll be seeing you very soon!