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Supporting wellbeing and learning during COVID-19 – approaches from further education colleges
This page was updated on 20/08/2021
We’re sharing brief insights into how further education colleges are supporting their learners and community in response to the difficult circumstances due to COVID-19.
Many further education colleges are large, with multi-sites covering a wide geographical area. In normal circumstances, they use realistic work environments within the college such as hair and beauty salons, training restaurants or motor vehicle and engineering workshops.
These approaches were written following an engagement call and reflect the situation at that time.
Further education colleges may be able to adapt these to their own context.
These insights show how further education colleges supported their learners during the pandemic. Find out how they prioritised wellbeing and mental health, and ensured social distancing on campus.
Keeping everyone informed
In one college, leaders publish regular updates for anyone with questions or concerns about COVID-19 in a clearly designated area of the college website. The information includes convenient links to government guidance, as well as explaining how the college is continuing to operate during the lockdown period. The college has posted additional guidance on its site to support its safeguarding policy and its citizenship code to reflect the exceptional circumstances and the revised ways of working. It includes clear details relating to the gradual re-opening of its campuses from 15 June 2020 in response to updated government guidelines. All information is available bilingually and a live chat facility is operational during normal college hours to help answer any queries or concerns.
Innovative digital delivery
Teachers in one college are continuing to provide learning activities and support to learners using innovative approaches delivered through a variety of online platforms and mobile applications. Examples include teachers creating their own videos and podcasts, posting video resources on Vlogs, setting up virtual classrooms to enable collaborative working and interaction with learners, and using blogs to share interesting examples of learners’ work. An online community area has also been created for teachers to share examples of innovative and effective practice with their colleagues.
Wellbeing support team
Staff in one college maintain support for learners’ wellbeing and mental health by using a variety of engagement mechanisms during the period in which on-campus facilities are unavailable. Contact and support methods include telephone and video calls, text messaging, email, online messaging through various learning platforms and virtual live chat available via website and mobile applications. A team of twenty wellbeing officers are also visiting learners’ homes to check on their wellbeing, when other forms of contact have not been successful or appropriate. They have also delivered food parcels and IT equipment to those in most need of additional help. The college delivers around three hundred food parcels a week and has loaned over a thousand pieces of equipment so far. A new online wellbeing area including links to activities such as yoga and meditation techniques has also been created during the lockdown period to help promote and support learner and staff wellbeing.
Supporting individual needs
In one college, support staff have drawn up and updated individual support plans for all learners who have been assessed as having additional learning needs (ALN) to reflect new ways of working during the lockdown period. Implementation and evaluation of these plans is overseen by the college’s ALN co‑ordinator. Learners have been provided with one to one support by telephone or video call to support them with completion of their work. Learning coaches provide learners and staff with additional guidance and help as required. The use of video calls has been particularly beneficial for those learners who need visual support in their learning.
Encouraging learner feedback
One college issued a learner survey shortly before the lockdown was announced and introduced remote learning in place of on-campus delivery. Despite this sudden disruption to learning activities, the response rate to the survey was close to usual expectations. In order to gain feedback on the impact of new arrangements for curriculum delivery and the effectiveness of ongoing support mechanisms, the college has decided to continue with regular campus council and learner representatives’ meetings and now holds these remotely using virtual platforms while college campuses are closed. These meetings provide learners with important opportunities to provide feedback and raise any concerns about the effectiveness of the new arrangements, as well as to make suggestions for improvement. Existing procedures for individual feedback and complaints are also being maintained during this period and personal tutors use regular ‘check-in’ calls to gather additional feedback.
Making progression easy
Current learners at one college have easy access to progression advice and opportunities during lockdown. Instead of having to apply for the next level of their course, learners are sent an invitation by email and text to come into college for a progression interview. Learners wanting to progress onto a different course at the college can complete an application online in order to secure a conditional place on the course prior to an interview later in the summer. The college’s employment hub also opened from mid-July to provide face-to-face support and progression advice.
Supporting transition into college
One college has worked to support transition for Year 11 pupils from its partner secondary schools. It has liaised with the schools and responded to requests to help provide Year 11 pupils with a progression focus for continuing their studies. The activities provided are tailored to facilitate progression onto individual AS level subjects such as economics, law, RE and chemistry. The college has provided access to its virtual learning environment to enable learners to engage with these resources.
Tips for teachers
One college has produced a guide for teachers outlining its top ten protocols for remote learning. The booklet is designed to help teachers work well, work safely and create a positive learning community. Tips for teachers include developing a class code of conduct, establishing times during the week when teachers are available online to answer questions and ideas on how to encourage collaborative learning online. The guide also offers advice to staff on how to develop activities to stretch and challenge learners and how to deal with inappropriate language or poor behaviour during online sessions.
Strengthening internal communications
One college reviewed and strengthened its communications procedures following the imposition of lockdown restrictions. Senior leaders provide regular updates to staff on policy, health and wellbeing through a weekly newsletter. Staff and team meetings are now held online and managers engage with staff via telephone or online platforms. Vlogs have also been used to share useful video updates and a staff wellbeing survey has been undertaken to check how staff are feeling during the lockdown and to provide them with an opportunity to suggest actions for improving staff and learner wellbeing.
Making campuses safe
Senior leaders in one college have visited all college campuses to make sure that all necessary social distancing and safety arrangements have been put in place throughout. Arrangements include social distance floor markings, initially based on the two metre guidance and designed to be easily adaptable to reflect any subsequent changes in guidance; one-way systems for entry, exit and movement around campuses wherever possible; and cordoned-off areas for drop-off and collection of learners at the start and end of the college day. The college has also made arrangements for masks, gloves, hand sanitising gel and any other required personal protective equipment to be available, where appropriate. Particular attention has also been given to making sure that adequate social distancing is maintained for staff and that practical areas such as workshops, laboratories and salons are COVID-19 secure.
Welcoming learners back
Following the initial easing of lockdown arrangements from the end of May 2020, one college has recommenced building works at two campuses and staff have undergone a phased return to college campuses. Leaders have used national protocols to ensure COVID-19 safe working arrangements in colleges to implement the necessary arrangements, which have enabled most staff to return to college campuses during June 2020. They have updated all risk assessments to include COVID-19 related issues and the college has welcomed over 250 learners, across several vocational areas, back to college during the first three weeks of the phased re-opening of college facilities to complete their qualifications by undertaking essential practical assessments.
Planning for the future
In one college, learners and staff have been surveyed to obtain feedback on their experiences during lockdown and to help inform planning for future learning delivery and staff working arrangements as restrictions are eased gradually. The key messages from learners are that they are missing their friends, tutors and the college environment. While many say they are coping well with remote delivery, a minority admit that they sometimes find it difficult to maintain motivation and sustain engagement in remote learning activities. A few staff indicate that they would like to continue to work from home. College leaders are using the feedback to draw up detailed plans, which would cover and can be adapted to a range of national and local scenarios that may occur when the new teaching year begins in September 2020.