COVID-19 Update - master’s at CREC

We have been working hard over the past few months to set up our offices and training rooms ready for the new academic year, ensuring that the environment is COVID secure but retains that welcoming and nurturing feel that we’ve worked hard to develop over the years.

As schools and early years settings have opened their doors for their whole communities once again, we felt optimistic that we would soon be welcoming back ours – and how we’ve missed everyone. Sadly, as levels of infection start to rise and national restrictions on meeting of groups have been imposed this sense of optimism has been dented. Locally, in Birmingham, the rates of infection are higher still and as a result additional restrictions have been placed on social gatherings.

Whilst none of these current restrictions would prevent our MA groups from meeting (all our teaching group sizes are kept purposely small) we recognise that there is great deal of nervousness among our community with regards to travelling on public transport, meeting in groups, and mixing with new people outside their immediate bubbles when they are currently to risk-manage their own staff bubbles in their places of work. We would also like all of our student to start the academic year with a sense of security and certainty about what they are embarking on.

For these reasons we have made the decision that, until the new year (January 2021), all of the taught days on our MA pathways will be held online face-to face rather than physically face-to-face.

All days will still run between 9.30-3.30 on the advertised days and will be led by their course tutors. Throughout each day you will see your tutor and all your fellow module students; you will experience a range of online learning including presentations; discussions; individual reflective tasks; and group workshop activities. There will be pre and post session tasks as usual and all students will have an opportunity for one-to-one conversations with their tutor.

Whilst we cannot facilitate drinks, biscuits and sweets as we would in person, we will ensure that there are opportunities to move away from your screen and also to socialise with other colleagues on the module.

Whilst for some this decision will be a disappointment, we know for others it will be a relief as we all manage the risks and expectations of live during COVID-19 in our own ways. We hope however that everyone can understand why we have made this decision and in plenty of time to avoid disrupting travel plans. We will keep the matter under continuous review and will make a decision regarding day 2 of each module in mid-October. Any students subject to localised travel or quarantine restrictions will be supported through online mechanisms as the year progresses.

Thank you for your ongoing support and patience – we look forward to seeing you very soon.

CREC Team