A. On 5 January 2021, the UK Government moved into a national lockdown, with everyone encouraged to stay at home unless travel is absolutely essential to limit the spread of coronavirus. In order to keep both our students and community as safe as possible, current guidance urged you not to return to campus as planned in January unless it is absolutely necessary for your course, your research, or your wellbeing. The courses where return to present-in-person teaching is necessary to complete the learning outcomes of your course and can return to campus in January 2021 are listed below .
a) Students on practical courses of study
If you are a student studying a practical course of study such as:
-Medicine and Dentistry
-Subjects allied to medicine/health including but not exclusively: pharmacy, dental hygiene, physician associates, speech and language therapists.
-Education (Initial Teacher Training)
-Professionally accredited courses with practical placement and present-in-person activities scheduled in January which cannot be rescheduled (If you fall into this category, your school will contact you w/c 4 January 2021.)
The list of programmes expected to return from January 2021 can be found link. .
If you are studying on one of the programmes listed, you are still permitted to return to campus despite the introduction of the latest restrictions, and you should make arrangements to do so, including for testing (see below). If you are studying on one of these programmes and you are not in a position to return at this time, you can request remote study by completing an absence request form via the Student Self Service Portal (S3P).
Due to the professional regulators involved, the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry have already been in touch with students studying with them to give specific detailed instructions on the return procedures and this bespoke School information should be followed.
b) Research students requiring access to facilities
-If you are a research student who requires access to specialist facilities on campus for your research.
c) Students with a compelling reason to be on campus
In addition, if you have remained in Newcastle over the break or if you have a compelling reason to return to campus, you may do so. This includes:
-Students without access to appropriate study spaces or facilities in your vacation
-Students who have remained in their university accommodation over the winter break
-Those requiring additional support, including students with mental health issues, which can only be met by returning to campus.
-Students on placements where the placement provider has COVID-secure measures in place, is permitted to open based on the relevant local restrictions, and is content for placements to continue
Students returning to campus, should make arrangements to take two Rapid (LFD) asymptomatic tests, 3 days apart, prior to your return to campus or access University facilities, including placement. The University’s Covid asymptomatic testing centre is now open and you can book your tests via this link. For all other students, your teaching and learning will be continued to be offered online as restrictions on Higher Education have been extended to 8 March 2021, and we encourage you to stay at home until further notice following Government national lockdown measures.