Darlington College says it will not reopen to the majority of students in June

Darlington College said the stringent safety measures that are required by the government will mean the Haughton Road campus is unable to fully reopen to all students this month.

It said it was currently developing plans and procedures to ensure that staff and students in select key categories, who are expected to return later this month, remained safe from Covid-19.

The college cancelled all face-to-face teaching in March as the Prime Minister Boris Johnson placed the UK into lockdown following the coronavirus outbreak.

Instead, the college moved all teaching to an 'online platform,' with students taken part in remote working.

But confirming that the college would only reopen to a small number of students, the college said: "Darlington College will not be open for all students in June.

"We will only be open for a small cohort of students in order to provide opportunities to complete practical assessments or more generally to help students to feel comfortable and prepared for next steps.

"These students will be notified personally. If you are not contacted, you are not required to attend.  If you wish to attend a session on site, however, please raise this with your progression coach and we will support you to do so.

"If you are asked to attend College and have Covid-19 symptoms please follow Government guidelines and do not attend until it is safe to do so.

"When in the College it is important to follow all health and safety measures in place to keep everyone safe. You will be issued with clear guidance on arrival."

The college said students wishing to return in September, plus new students from Year 11 would be informed during the summer period about enrolment and commencement of new courses.

It said: "If however, students wish to seek further information, please contact the College via the enquiry line on 01325 503050 or email enquiryline@darlington.ac.uk."