Welcome back to Croydon College

Welcome to Croydon College.  We are so pleased that you have decided to take your next step with us as you look to progress towards achieving your goals. We are dedicated to supporting your needs throughout your studies, enrich them with engaging and fun activities and help you every step of the way. Your course tutors, pastoral teams and student service teams are on hand to help you when you need it. We have been working throughout the summer to ensure that the return to our opening for this academic year is a safe and enjoyable experience for all of you. Please do maintain social distancing in communal areas, ensure that you are following guidelines with ensuring hand sanitising as you enter and exit the building and that you are wearing face masks if taking public transport to and from the college. To reduce your contact with other persons we have staggered start and lunch times, which have been reduced to 30 minutes, as well as increased the recurrence of cleaning on site. Your teachers will review with you how to stay safe on  campus during the tutorial programme as lessons start.    

As we open the College to welcome you next week, you may find that some of your learning takes place on-line via Moodle. This is just one of the exciting developments we have put in place to help you with this year so that you have a rich and full learning experience. We are really proud of the extra skills we can develop and knowledge passed on outside of the classroom and your online space is just as important as the lessons you attend. Moodle contains lots of additional resources to assist you including: the opportunity to participate in quizzes, links to useful information relating to your studies, access to resources used in lesson, assignment support, e-books and e-guides; and space to upload assessments, as directed by your course teachers. To access this you will need your username and password. Your username is your learner ID and your password will be given to you by your course tutors at the start of your study programme.

Access to timetables:

Returning students: For our fantastic students that are returning to the college and successfully completed a programme with us last academic year, your user account details will remain the same and you will be able to access your timetable via MyPT (My progress tracker) from 4pm on Friday 4^th September 2020. We will still be confirming the start date and time in an email that will be sent out to you in a separate email on Friday morning.

New students: If you are new to the college, a very warm welcome to you. You will be receiving an email  with details of your first lesson at the college next week. Once you attend this lesson, you will be given a hard copy of your timetable and account details in order to access the timetable electronically in our online systems, put in place to support you throughout your studies. Your teachers will show you how to use this systems during your first week in the college.

If you did not complete your course: If you were not able to complete your studies last year, you will be given account details as if you are new to the college. You will be emailed details of your first lesson Friday (4^th September) morning and will receive a hard copy of your timetable in this session, along with the passwords you need to use. You will then be able to access the timetable electronically via MyPT from this point forwards.

Please note these timetables may be subject to change at the start of term, so please do check daily throughout your first week on MyPt. This will give you the most current version.

What measures can I expect from September?

The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority, and we are putting a variety of measures in place to deliver safe teaching through a blended learning approach, with a comprehensive package of support.

Government guidance will continue to change in the UK over the coming months and we are regularly updating our plans for your safe return to College. Take a look at our COVID-19 Safety video here to see what Croydon College have done to support you in your education and keep you safe. 

There are a variety of measures put in place to keep you safe, but students who are worried about returning to College, will be supported with online learning by exception. Arrangements may change, but on current plans, as a minimum you can expect:

• Good infection control
• Hand sanitisers and multi-surface cleaning wipes
• Face coverings in communal areas are encouraged
• Social distancing in communal areas
• Class bubbles
• Staggered start and finish times, and lunch times across the college
• Self-isolation or quarantine arrangements: If you are travelling from certain countries you may be required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival in the UK. Please refer to the UK Government guidance on this requirement.

Travel update

Transport for London have announced a number of changes and enhancements to the bus network designed to make it easier and safer for students to get to school and college.

From 1 September, buses dedicated for school and college travel are being introduced. These services will be clearly signed, and information will be posted at bus stops and online.

Government guidance allows for all seats to be occupied on dedicated school services, doubling their capacity. By maximising capacity and freeing up other buses for other customers, these planned measures would help enable London’s young people to make safe and reliable journeys to and from school.

Specific to Croydon College

• Routes 50, 119, 407 and 412 are planned to run with one additional bus dedicated for school travel in the morning peak
• Routes 60, 64, 466 and 468 are planned to run every other bus dedicated for school travel in the morning
• Routes 109, 154, 194, 197, 198, and 312 are planned to run every other bus dedicated for school travel in the morning
• Routes 367 and 455 is planned to run with two additional bus dedicated for school travel in the morning peak and one additional bus dedicated for school travel  in the afternoon peak; routes 405 and X26 are planned to run with one additional bus dedicated for school travel  in the afternoon peak
• Routes 410 and 433 are planned to run every other bus dedicated for school travel in the morning and the afternoon

These planned measures are subject to change – please continue to check tfl.gov.uk/reopeningeducation in the coming weeks for the latest information on services and safer travel guidance.

To help enable social distancing on the transport network, students, parents, carers and staff are encouraged to walk, cycle or scoot to school and college wherever possible. This will help make space for people who must use public transport.

A range of helpful resources to encourage all of us to walk or cycle are below:

• Online Cycle Skills course – aimed at both those cycling for the first time or those wishing to refresh their skills. The course is available at https://cycleskillsonline.tfl.gov.uk/ and modules include cycle safety for young people as well as tips on getting you and your bike prepared for the road
• TfL Go, a new app, which helps Londoners plan their journeys and follow the safer travel guidance. This app also provides walking and cycling routes to consider for all or part of your journey. This is now available to download for Apple devices at www.tfl.gov.uk/go. An Android version of TfL Go will be released in the coming months
• New and existing walking and cycle routes – including those delivered through TfL Streetspace programme. You can now view a map of Streetspace schemes across London to help plan your routes