Bury College has ensured the support and safeguarding of its students has been a top priority during the lockdown period.
The College has remained open safely throughout these difficult times in order to offer help for students, particularly those who may need friendly or supportive personal contact. Since March, the College’s safeguarding and pastoral team has made over 7000 phone calls to support its most vulnerable learners. In addition, more than fifty home visits have been carried out to ensure students remain safe; all of which have resulted in a positive outcome. 250 students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) engaged remotely with online or home learning and 15 students with EHCPs attended college for face to face support.
In addition, all learners were offered online teaching and support through the College’s online virtual learning resources. Thousands of students engaged in virtual learning and over 1.5 million pages were viewed, as learners continued with their education.
In line with recommendations from the Department for Education and government scientific advice, the College was delighted to welcome year 12 students and Apprentices back to a safe learning environment in June. Over the past few weeks, 6,300 hours of face-to-face learning has taken place, with 524 students benefitting from a return to in-College teaching. To ensure the safety of all, seventy members of staff took on roles of campus safety ambassadors to support students and staff.
The College is also proud to have supported the wider community during these difficult times. It has donated over 200 items to the Bury Foodbank Porch Box via a College collection scheme, and has supported an initiative to produce 5,000 pieces of PPE for frontline workers in the HNS and health care sector through the loan of its 3D printers to Warrington-based Beamont Collegiate Academy.
Becky Tootell, Bury College Deputy Principal, acknowledges these achievements, “The last few months have been extremely challenging. These extraordinary achievements are a result of the dedication, effort and determination of our remarkable staff and students. We will continue to support individuals during the summer period. The College will continue to remain open safely throughout the summer to ensure our most vulnerable learners continue to receive contact and support”.
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