Docklands Academy December Newsletter
Higher Education
As we move into the last few weeks of the semester our online delivery of our Business, Travel and Tourism and Hospitality Management courses continues. Despite the challenges of teaching in 2020 teachers have kept students engaged with a huge range of blended learning activities and approaches, from flipped classrooms to student led debates in Zoom breakout rooms. We are grateful to students for their continued dedication and adaptability during this time and have been delighted to see such passion in our online classes from students.
We would like to congratulate students who collected their HNC and HND certificates this month. All the hard work has paid off and we are really proud of their progress.
English
Our online English courses continue to flourish. Our student testimonials speak for themselves:
This month we said goodbye to Azhar, from Bangladesh, who has been studying with us for 12 weeks. In this short period of time he managed to move up from pre-intermediate to intermediate.
We are really pleased for him and are sure that he will continue to improve with his dedication and passion to communicate.
Christmas in London
There’s no use denying that Christmas 2020 will be unlike any Christmas in London before it. Still, there’s enough Christmas spirit in the capital to find a way through. Whether that’s checking the Christmas lights across town or booking ahead for activities. There’s ice skating with a strict time slot; panto for a limited audience and safe, outdoor activities galore. Our favourite place to skate is The Queen’s House Ice rink in Greenwich and it’s hard to beat the lights along Oxford Street and on the ever-trendy Carnaby Street.
While you probably shouldn’t sit on Santa’s lap this year, we’re hoping you can still go forth and have fun in a London stuffed like a stocking full of magical things to do at Christmas!
Covid Update
Lockdown in the UK is ending on 2nd December, after which London will return to Tier 2. This is for areas with a higher or rapidly rising level of infections, where some additional restrictions need to be in place.
Here are the latest guidelines for Tier 2 (High alert)
- you must not socialise with anyone you do not live with or who is not in your support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place
- you must not socialise in a group of more than 6 people outside, including in a garden or a public space – this is called the ‘rule of 6’
- businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a COVID-Secure manner, other than those which remain closed by law, such as nightclubs
- pubs and bars must close, unless operating as restaurants. Hospitality venues can only serve alcohol with substantial meals
- hospitality businesses selling food or drink for consumption on their premises are required to:
- provide table service only, in premises which sell alcohol
- close between 11pm and 5am (hospitality venues in airports, ports, transport services and motorway service areas are exempt)
- stop taking orders after 10pm
- hospitality businesses and venues selling food and drink for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-through
- early closure (11pm) applies to casinos, cinemas, theatres, museums, bowling alleys, amusement arcades, funfairs, theme parks, adventure parks and activities, and bingo halls. Cinemas, theatres and concert halls can stay open beyond 11pm in order to conclude performances that start before 10pm
- public attendance at outdoor and indoor events (performances and shows) is permitted, limited to whichever is lower: 50% capacity, or either 2,000 people outdoors or 1,000 people indoors
- public attendance at spectator sport and business events can resume inside and outside, subject to social contact rules and limited to whichever is lower: 50% capacity, or either 2,000 people outdoors or 1,000 people indoors
- places of worship remain open but you must not socialise with people from outside of your household or support bubble while you are indoors there, unless a legal exemption applies
- weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on numbers of attendees – 15 people can attend wedding ceremonies and receptions, 30 people can attend funeral ceremonies, and 15 people can attend linked commemorative events such as wakes or stonesettings.
- organised outdoor sport, and physical activity and exercise classes can continue
- organised indoor sport, physical activity and exercise classes will only be permitted if it is possible for people to avoid mixing with people they do not live with (or share a support bubble with). There are exceptions for indoor disability sport, sport for educational purposes and supervised sport and physical activity for under-18s, which can take place with larger groups mixing
- you can continue to travel to venues or amenities which are open, but should aim to reduce the number of journeys you make where possible
- if you live in a tier 2 area, you must continue to follow tier 2 rules when you travel to a tier 1 area. Avoid travel to or overnight stays in tier 3 areas other than where necessary, such as for work, education, youth services, to receive medical treatment, or because of caring responsibilities. You can travel through a tier 3 area as a part of a longer journey
- for international travel see the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice for your destination and the travel corridors list