Guidance

Higher education providers: coronavirus (COVID-19)

Coronavirus (COVID-19) operational guidance for higher education providers.

From:
Department for Education
Published
3 June 2020
Last updated
24 February 2022 — See all updates

This publication was withdrawn on

Guidance on emergency planning and response for education, childcare, and children’s social care settings is available.

Applies to England

Documents

Higher education providers: coronavirus (COVID-19)

PDF, 270 KB, 25 pages

Details

This guidance is for:

  • higher education providers
  • partner organisations
Published 3 June 2020
Last updated 24 February 2022 + show all updates

  1. We’ve updated the guidance to reflect new public health guidance tracing close contacts, isolation and when someone has symptoms or a positive test.

  2. Updated to reflect the end of the asymptomatic testing programme. Reference made to UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance on contact tracing and isolation which comes into effect from Thursday 24 February 2022.

  3. Updated ‘Higher Education providers: coronavirus (COVID-19)’ to align with today's Plan B announcement. This includes the removal of the recommendation to wear face coverings in teaching settings and communal areas, that mandatory certification will no longer be in place and that people are no longer advised to work from home if they can.

  4. Updated advice for students before travelling to the UK.

  5. Updated guidance in line with the UKHSA announcement about confirmatory PCR tests.

  6. Updated the face coverings section of 'Higher education providers: coronavirus (COVID-19)' to include the use of face coverings in teaching settings.

  7. Updated to reflect that daily rapid testing is now recommended for contacts of COVID-19.

  8. Following the Prime Ministers announcement on 8 December 2021, we have updated guidance on HE workforce, communications with students and staff, testing asymptomatic students and staff using LFDs, vaccine certification, students travelling from red countries, mandatory certification and students vaccinated overseas and forming new households.

  9. Converted to HTML to improve accessibility. Added clarification on the use of face visors and face shields by those who are exempt from wearing face coverings and what guidance students and staff must follow when traveling to England from abroad.

  10. Updated guidance on face coverings, travel and quarantine to reflect new measures announced on 27 November 2021.

  11. Updated advice on individuals previously considered as clinically extremely vulnerable, regular testing, vaccinations, students travelling from abroad, and travel linked to the Turing Scheme. Added 'Quarantine arrangements for unaccompanied minors joining higher education providers in England', which includes information on unaccompanied minors arriving from red list countries quarantining at their destination, including in HE providers' accommodation.

  12. Updated advice on quarantining and remote learning visas when travelling from abroad, clarified circumstances for self-isolation, linked to the education contingency framework, and advised that students should have two LFD tests when they arrive on campus.

  13. Guidance converted to HTML to make it easier to read. Added updated section on clinically extremely vulnerable people. Removed sections ‘opening of facilities and buildings’ and ‘teaching and learning environments’.

  14. Updated to clarify that from 19 July, the government is removing the requirement to wear face coverings in law but expects and recommends that they are worn in enclosed and crowded spaces where you may come into contact with people you don't normally meet. This includes public transport.

  15. Added operational guidance which applies from Step 4. This guidance removes restrictions in line with wider society, including social distancing and the wearing of face coverings. It also includes updated information on outbreak management plans, testing, and new and returning students travelling from overseas.

  16. Guidance converted to HTML to make it easier to read. There are no changes to any of the guidance from the update on 10 May.

  17. We have withdrawn 'Students returning to, and starting, higher education during spring and summer 2021' and updated 'Higher education coronavirus (COVID-19) operational guidance' with information on Step 3 of the Roadmap, outbreak plans, face coverings, testing asymptomatic students and staff using lateral flow device tests (LFDs), new and returning students travelling from overseas, educational visits and field trips, and staff and student wellbeing.

  18. Updated the 'Students returning to, and starting, higher education in the spring term' guidance with information on when students can return to campus, educational visits and field trips, the opening of, and access to facilities, testing students and staff, transparent face coverings and face visors, shielding, travelling to the devolved administrations via a connecting flight in England and international students and coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination.

  19. Updated section on 'Face coverings' to include providers’ duty to make reasonable adjustments. Both documents have been updated.

  20. Updated the guidance on 'students returning to, and starting, higher education in the spring term' to include advice on students travelling home for their Easter break and updated guidance for new and returning students travelling from overseas.

  21. Updated 'Higher education: operational guidance' throughout.

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

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

  24. 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.

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

  26. 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+.

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

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

  29. Updated isolation information.

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

  31. Removed 'Higher education: new national restrictions guidance'.

  32. 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.

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

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

  35. Updated the information on sports and activities.

  36. Added 'Higher education: new national restrictions guidance'.

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

  38. Updated the travel and transport section.

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

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

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

  42. Updated 'Staff and student wellbeing' section.

  43. First published.

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