Guidance

Higher education providers: coronavirus (COVID-19)

Information on the return of students for the spring term and HE operational guidance.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 3 June 2020
• Last updated: 2 March 2021, see all updates

• Applies to: England (see publications for Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland)

Documents

Students returning to, and starting, higher education in the spring term

Ref: DFE-00002-2021 PDF, 329KB, 34 pages

Higher education coronavirus (COVID-19) operational guidance

HTML

Details

This guidance is for:

• higher education providers
• partner organisations

Published 3 June 2020
Last updated 2 March 2021 + show all updates

1. 2 March 2021

   Updated 'Higher education: operational guidance' throughout.

2. 24 February 2021

   Removed the 'Higher Education coronavirus (COVID19) NHS Test and Trace handbook'.

3. 22 February 2021

   Updated 'Students returning to, and starting, higher education in the spring term' to reflect the Prime Minister's announcement on 22 February 2021.

4. 11 February 2021

   Updates made to ‘Higher education: reopening buildings and campuses’ including renaming it ‘Higher education: operational guidance’ to reflect that it is no longer about the start of the 2020/21 academic year and ensure that it is consistent with other published guidance.

5. 9 February 2021

   Removed ‘Student movement and plans for the end of term’ HTML document – this guidance no longer applies as the winter break has now ended.

6. 3 February 2021

   Updated 'Students returning to, and starting higher education in spring term 2021' with changes to when students can return to campus, updates on testing asymptomatic students and international students, and added information about Erasmus+.

7. 7 January 2021

   Replaced 'Students returning to higher education for spring term' with new guidance which reflects the national lockdown restrictions announced 5 January 2021.

8. 23 December 2020

   Updated 'Higher education: reopening buildings and campuses' with information relating to 'Local restriction tiers'.

9. 14 December 2020

   Updated isolation information.

10. 2 December 2020

    Added 'Students returning to higher education for January 2021'.

11. 2 December 2020

    Removed 'Higher education: new national restrictions guidance'.

12. 24 November 2020

    Added guidance for healthcare and other students on placements returning home and updates on the testing availability to the student movement and plans for the end of term guidance.

13. 13 November 2020

    Updated the 'International students' section of the Higher education: new national restrictions guidance.

14. 11 November 2020

    Added guidance on student movement and plans for the end of term.

15. 4 November 2020

    Updated the information on sports and activities.

16. 3 November 2020

    Added 'Higher education: new national restrictions guidance'.

17. 15 October 2020

    Updated higher education guidance with reference to new 3 tiers of COVID-19 (coronavirus) measures.

18. 30 September 2020

    Updated the travel and transport section.

19. 10 September 2020

    Updated HE provider guidance and added Higher Education coronavirus (COVID19) NHS Test and Trace handbook.

20. 17 July 2020

    Performing arts, transport and international students and self-isolation sections updated.

21. 2 July 2020

    Updates on social distancing, demographic, library, social gathering, performing arts and student accommodation guidance.

22. 10 June 2020

    Updated 'Staff and student wellbeing' section.

23. 3 June 2020

    First published.