Statement from Shrewsbury Colleges Group - 6 April 2021

Statement from Shrewsbury Colleges Group on returning to college after Easter

I want to wish you a happy Easter break. I hope that you can enjoy the lighter nights and the gradual easing of Lockdown restrictions over the coming weeks while continuing to do so in a responsible manner.

Easter Break

I’d like to remind you that we return to campus on Monday 19 April. Please ensure that you test yourself BEFORE returning to college. If you do get a positive Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests, then you need to inform the COVID team This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and from 1 April, you will need to get a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.

The PCR test should be booked immediately either online or by calling 119 and should be undertaken within 2 days.

Students who had a positive LFD test result, and their close contacts and other members of their household, should self-isolate immediately in line with NHS Test and Trace guidance and while awaiting the PCR result. If the PCR test is negative, it overrides the LFD test and the student can return to college, and their close contacts can end their self-isolation.

COVID Testing

We have a couple of points that we would like to remind you about for the COVID testing.

New test kits
If you haven’t already, please can you ensure that you continue to collect test kits to ensure that you are testing twice a week after the Easter break. 

The kits can be collected from the Student Service desks at each campus.

COVID Testing on campus
The testing centres will continue to be open after Easter break but on an appointment-only basis. Please email COVID tracing <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> to book an appointment.

Learning Resource Centres

The Learning Resource Centres will be open at London Road, Welsh Bridge and English Bridge campuses between Tuesday 6 April and Friday 16 April and from 8.30 am until 4.00 pm. Please make use of the LRC if you find it difficult to study at home.

National Online Safety

As you now are hopefully already aware, the college has provided for each student a subscription to the National Online Safety platform to help you learn about online safety and keep up to date on online threats. Many of you have already signed up and have accessed resources from the National Online Safety platform.
We are currently reviewing the start that we have made with this important development. Please could you fill out this short survey to let us know what you currently think?

If you have not signed up yet please can you do at and then submit the survey.

Message about exams

Professor Kevin Woods and psychologists at Manchester University have written an article about getting your grades this summer and the anxiety that you may feel. The blog contains some guidance on how to deal with the situation. You can read the blog here.

The articles include suggestions on how to “Actively manage your wellbeing” including:

• socialising – spending time with particular friends or family who make us feel happy
• relaxing – whether actively, like playing a game, or passively, like watching a film
• exercising – which can ‘work off’ stress and can get you outdoors too
• eating – keeping mealtimes regular and balancing healthy options with treats
• sleep – for many people ‘bedtimes’ went out of the window in lockdown so reinstating it will help manage the busier days ahead

Letter to young people from the Secretary of State for Education

Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Education has written to students to recognise the impact of the disruption they have faced over the past year and to thank them for their resilience. He outlines his continued commitment to supporting students to recover from the disruption now that they have returned to college.