Bright World Policy on Multiple Student Accommodation In Term Breaks During the Covid-19 pandemic

OUT OF DATE – KEEP IN CASE REVERTS 30/11/21

During the longer holidays, we understand that our students sometimes wish to stay with their friend/relatives for part of the holiday, before going to a host family/residential accommodation, or vice versa.

Bright World has put this policy in place in order to minimise the risk to our students, their peers and staff at school and our host families.

One holiday – one location

Our policy is that we wish to avoid and to discourage our students from making plans which will lead to them staying in multiple households and different accommodation throughout the holidays. Our strong preference is that they remain in the same place for the entire stay.

With this in mind, whilst we recognise the importance of our students seeing their friends and relatives for their wellbeing, if this is the holiday arrangement being made we would ask that, wherever possible, these arrangements are made for the entire duration of the holiday.

Alternatively, if a student is selecting host family or residential accommodation, this should also be in place for the duration of the holiday, to reduce the number of people who are mixing and therefore at risk of spreading the Covid-19 virus.

Should students present with symptoms they need to isolate where they are

If exceptional circumstances mean that students are not able to stay with friends/relatives for their entire school holiday and wish to move to a host family/residential accommodation part-way through, we will make this arrangement only on the following basis:

that the friend/relative who is initially assuming responsibility for the student confirms that they will continue to take care of the student for the remainder of any holiday period (and as long as required), if the student develops any possible Covid-19 symptoms and needs to self-isolate pending the result of a test, or when they have received a postive test result.

We are not able to place symptomatic students in host families, as we cannot ask our host families/residential staff to take on the risk of looking after a student who may have, or has been tested positive for, Covid-19. Similarly, schools will not accept students back after school holidays if they are suffering from, or have symptoms of Covid-19.

Without the assurance above, we will insist that students remain in one location for their entire holiday.