Easter Holidays Closure Notice

Firstly, as we pass the 12 month anniversary since the UK first went into lockdown, we would like to applaud all our students for the way in which they have balanced the competing pressures of professional, personal and academic life during a period like no other. Whilst everyone has had to work and study in a host of different ways, and to deal with sometimes immense challenges brought on by the pandemic, we are really proud and inspired by the way in which our student body and the wider community have responded. Virtual learning has it’s pros and its cons, but ultimately, in the current situation, it’s been an absolute necessity.

Thank you in particular to all our Pathway leaders for reworking materials to work in this new medium and embracing the technology to do things that they had never done before; it has been a huge learning curve for everyone and we are grateful for the patience, generosity, and understanding of everyone in the CREC community as we’ve moved mountains to keep everything on track.

Much of the way we work at CREC is through supporting and encouraging reflective dialogue in a safe, secure environment, to help practitioners relate their own theory to practice, and to develop strong learning communities; we therefore very much hope we can bring cohorts together physically for at least some of their 2021/22 modules in a safe and secure way. We are making plans at present to how we might best do this and will provide an update regarding this after Easter. Rest assured that no student will be disadvantaged should they be unable or unwilling to travel due to Covid restrictions.

The CREC offices will be physically and virtually closed over the Easter period to allow staff to take a break and prepare for the term ahead. During this period of time, from Good Friday until Sunday 18th April, our emails will not be monitored.

Whilst some CREC tutors are not directly employed by CREC and may continue working during this period, we do ask that unless you have been specifically asked to submit work to them during this period then you also respect their right to take some leave during this (slightly) quieter period.

We also hope that you are able to take some time away from your screens and your professional roles over the Easter break. For those who plan to use the Easter holidays to focus on your studies then Moodle is your first port of call where there are ways to connect with the community of practice and your pathway cohort. Should you have any issue accessing your accounts at this time please do call BCU IT on 0121 3316543 and do have your student number at the ready.

If you’re a current CREC students and need wellbeing support over this period, we would encourage you to visit the Togetherall page. The CREC Community of Practice area has details of additional wellbeing services.