If you're going home for Christmas don't forget...

You can get tested

We hope that you’ve seen the news that you can get an asymptomatic Covid test on campus to help you get home safely for Christmas.

Your teaching and assessment week

Teaching and Learning is continuing online until 18 December, wherever you are, with increased online delivery from next week followed by our new Assessment Support Week (14-18 December).

Our assessment weeks are scheduled for 9-23 January 2021, and we have already confirmed that most scheduled assessment activity will be conducted online.

To take anything home you may need

We want to make sure that you have thought about where you will be during the assessment period and any possibility that you may have to remain at your Christmas address. For example – while you are away from Birmingham you may be required to self-isolate, or, there may be restrictions on when and where students can travel on the other side of the vacation period. So if you are visiting home for Christmas - make sure that you take with you anything you might need for the assessment period.

To keep following Tier 3 guidance

Although you may not see your classmates for a few weeks please continue to act responsibly within your household, remembering that Tier 3 restrictions mean it is against the law, in England, to meet socially indoors or in most outdoor places (including private gardens) with anybody you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble. It is really important that we all continue to follow the rules, to keep everyone, our friends and family and communities, safe and well.

To keep checking back for updates on January

There is still a great deal of uncertainty about what will follow the Christmas period. We will continue to follow the UK Government advice, which has prioritised teaching and learning in all education settings, including universities. We expect that will mean that our blended approach of online and in-person teaching will resume for the second semester and we are expecting further guidance from the Government over the next two weeks.

We will continue to stay in contact with you all as we receive any updates and will let you know if there are any changes via messages to your student email account and via our social media.

To keep your property safe

If your property is going to be empty for a long time over the Christmas holiday, it’s really important that you do everything you can to make it safe before you go. Here are some tips provided by your Community Wardens on what to do before you leave:

Take all of your valuables with you.

Set the house alarm – ask your landlord if you don’t know the code.

Put your bicycle in your room if you can’t take it home – don’t leave it outside, even if it’s locked.

Try to make the house look occupied e.g. leave coats hanging up in the hallway or use a timer switch to get your lights to turn on and off sporadically.

Make sure your garden gates, windows and doors are locked.

Make sure any spare key is left with a reliable person and not hidden somewhere that is easily accessible.

Tell your landlord if your house is going to be empty for a few weeks or more.

Don’t broadcast on social media that your house will be empty over Christmas.

They also suggested a few quick actions to keep your house nice for your return:

Put all your rubbish out and bring your wheelie bin back in.

Check taps are turned off.

Keep your heating on low to stop pipes from bursting.

Home insurance policies may also require you to secure your valuables in your own locked space rather than communal areas.