COVID FAQs

How will TopUp Leaning London (Tti) ensure the safety of students and staff at the school?

We have a number of safety measures in place in order to keep our students and staff safe. We stay up-to-date with UK Government guidelines and our measures may change slightly based on the advice from the government.

  • Lateral flow antigen testing will take place at school for all staff and students. This will be offered free of charge three times per week. (Monday, Wednesday and Friday).
  • Lateral flow device (LFD) testing is a fast and simple way to test people who do not have symptoms of COVID-19, but who may still be spreading the virus.
  • The tests are easy to use and give results in 30 minutes. Those who test positive must immediately self-isolate to avoid passing the virus on to others.
  • Staff and students are required to maintain a distance of at least 1 metre from all other people.
  • Staff and students are required to wear a face mask at all times unless exempt due to health reasons.
  • Hand sanitiser will be available in every classroom and throughout the school. All staff and students will be asked to sanitise their hands on arrival and re-entry to the building and periodically throughout the day.
  • A temperature check will be taken on arrival in school on a daily basis using a using a non-contact thermometer.
  • Our reception will be staffed by one member of staff who will deal services that cannot be offered online. One student at a time will be allowed in Reception and we will have a socially distanced queuing system.
  • Weather permitting, you will be encouraged to take your break outside on our roof terrace. Social distancing rules will apply.
  • Classrooms will be cleaned and sanitised at the end of each day.
  • Where this is not against fire safety regulations, doors will be left open to ensure ventilation throughout the building and to reduce the need for touching door handles. Doors will be cleaned each day before students arrive and throughout the day.
  • Students will need to buy their own copy of the coursebook. .

What do I need to do before travelling to the UK?

  • Before you arrive in the UK you must provide the address where you will be staying in the UK and your contact details, as well as details of your travel arrangements. You must do this before you arrive, but you can do it more than 48 hours before your arrival. You do this by using the Public Health Passenger Locator Form. Please make sure you have a printout of the completed form or access to it on your phone to show to the UK immigration officer when you arrive.
  • You must also have proof of a negative COVID-19 test to travel to England from abroad. Details of testing before arriving in the UK
  • Under the Test to Release scheme you can choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test. If the result is negative, you can end your quarantine after 5 days. Please follow this link for the most up to date advice: UK Government Advice
  • If quarantine is necessary from your country, we will arrange accommodation for you (when it is booked through us) and you will have access to online classes during the 10-day period. During your quarantine period you must remain at your address in the UK for at least 10 days. There will be spot checks from the UK authorities to ensure compliance with quarantine.
  • You will receive help and support from your residence/host and/or TopUp Learning London (Tti) if you are required to quarantine.
  • Please check the information related to red, amber, and green list rule for entering England here.

How will my first day at the school be affected by COVID-19 precautions?

  • You will need to take a placement test before your arrival. We will email this to you when you enrol.
  • The speaking section of the test will be done via Zoom with the Director of Studies.
  • We will ask you to send us a scan of your passport so that we do not need to handle your passport when you arrive. However, if we still need to see your passport we will ask you to show it to us. 
  • If you require a visa to study in the UK, we will ask you to take a photograph of the visa page of your passport after your arrival in the UK and to email the photo to us. 
  • You will be sent a digital version of our welcome pack.

What are the accommodation options?

  • We are able to offer rooms in three local student residences all within walking distance of the school. Some special offers are available in the residences for students that have to quarantine. Contact us on info@topuplearning.com for more information.
  • Host family accommodation is also available.

What procedures are in place to make accommodation safe?

  • The residences have clear and comprehensive guidelines and risk assessments in place to cover their new COVID-19 procedures. When you book your accommodation, we will issue you with the guidelines for the residence you have booked. Examples of enhanced procedures include more frequent cleaning, restrictions on shared spaces, rotas for use of the kitchens.
  • Host families will provide you with their normal warm welcome. However, they will keep their houses safe by increasing the frequency of cleaning and providing hand sanitiser in their homes, which you are strongly encouraged to use frequently. To reduce the chance of infection you will not be able to move to a different host until you have stayed at your current host for at least two weeks

What should I bring with me?

  • If you have a laptop or tablet, we strongly recommend that you bring that with you as we will be providing many of our materials digitally rather than on paper.
  • Please make sure you bring enough pens and pencils and paper with you for your own use as we cannot share these items.
  • We suggest you bring enough masks or face coverings and alcohol-based hand sanitiser to last you for at least a week. It is possible to buy extra supplies of these items once you have arrived. Face masks or coverings should not be worn for more than 4 hours as they become ineffective after that time. If you feel you need or want to wear a face mask for extended periods of time, you may need two or even three for each day.
  • Face coverings are mandatory on public transport in London. However, this does not have to be a mask. Anything that sufficiently covers your mouth and nose is acceptable.
  • You may want to bring some disposable plastic gloves for extra protection. 

How will I get to and from the airport safely?

  • We strongly advise you to arrange an airport transfer for you to your accommodation. We can book this for you. We can only arrange single transfers unless you are travelling with people you know. Please be prepared to wear a mask or face-covering in the taxi and to lift your own luggage into the back of the car. If you are unable to lift your own luggage the driver will do it for you but he/she may wipe your luggage with sanitising gel before handling it. 

 

 

 

 

How will I get to and from the school safely?

  • Most of our accommodation options are within reasonable walking distance of the school. Current UK Government advice is that everyone should walk to cycle to work/school where this is possible and to only use public transport if it is absolutely necessary. We will endeavour to place you in accommodation that is within walking distance of the school, although, please note that the walk time may be up to 30 minutes. 
  • If you have to use public transport, you must wear a mask or face covering otherwise you will not be allowed to travel.

Will there be social programme activities and how will they work?

  • The Social Programme has always been an important and popular aspect of our students’ experience of TopUp Learning London (Tti).
  • While restrictions are in place, we will be running a modified Social Programme. The exact activities will be dependent on UK Government guidelines in place at the time.
  • All activities will be risk assessed thoroughly before going ahead to ensure that any potential risk to students and staff is managed.

Will I be able to socialise with other students outside of class?

  • Yes, our roof terrace and Study Lounge are spacious enough to maintain social distancing.
  • We continue to follow the guidelines set out by the government.

How will I get food and drink while studying at TopUp Learning London (Tti)?

  • The school Coffee Bar will offer free tea, coffee and water as always! We also recommend that you bring plenty of water from your accommodation.
  • There are plenty of shops and cafés in Camden where it is possible to buy food. Marks and Spencer’s supermarket is a popular option amongst our students, and you can buy snacks and lunchtime food, such as sandwiches and sushi there. Cafés are offering a takeaway service. Please note that they will be busier at lunchtime, so we recommend buying your food in advance, if that is possible.

What is the cancellation policy if I book a course now and then I am unable to attend, or the school doesn’t open?

  • We are pleased to offer a free cancellation and refund on tuition fees if you can’t attend the classes due to COVID-19 and inform us at least one week prior to the start date of your course. Please note the refund process will take up to three months to complete.
  • Alternatively, you can move your enrolment, both course and accommodation, to later date. No additional fees are required. We can allow you to change the course dates up to three times for free, but it must within a 12 month calendar period.

What happens if the school has to close during my course?

  • If a student or a member of staff contracts COVID-19, the school may need to close for up to 2 days for deep cleaning. During this period, all courses will be moved online.
  • In the unlikely event of a Government shutdown, all courses will be moved online, and you will be very welcome to stay in your accommodation and remain in the UK or return home and continue studying from there. If you do not wish to transfer to online courses, you will be offered a credit note valid for one year from your last day studying with us.

What happens if I get symptoms of COVID- 19 while studying at TopUp Learning London (Tti)

  • We will be asking all our students to tell us immediately if they feel unwell, either by calling the school during opening hours or calling the emergency number outside opening hours and if they suspect they have COVID-19 symptoms.
  • If a student or staff member appears unwell in school, we may take their temperature using a non-contact thermometer and if we feel they are displaying potential symptoms of COVID-19 they will be asked to return to their residence, host family or home.
  • The student or staff member will be asked to request a COVID-19 test as soon as possible and no later than 5 days. The test can be requested online. If the student or staff member tests positive, everyone in their class ‘bubble’ will be informed and will need to self-isolate for 10 days. Your classes will be moved online.
  • For data protection reasons, we may not be able to tell you who has tested positive.
  • You do not need to pay for a COVID-19 test in the UK.
  • If you have symptoms of COVID-19 then you must self-isolate for at least 10 days. If you are with a host, they will also have to self-isolate. If you are in a residence, then everyone staying there will have to self-isolate as you are regarded as being part of the same household.
  • During your period of self-isolation, we will keep in regular contact with you to ensure that you have everything you need and that you are well. You can also keep in contact with us either by calling the school number within working hours or the emergency number outside of working hours.
  • If you need to consult a medical professional, you can call 111 on your phone and trained professionals will be able to help you. We can help you with this if you need us to.

What happens if I need to self-isolate because I have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19?

  • If you need to self-isolate because you have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19, then you can continue your class online. If your whole class needs to self-isolate then the class will continue as normal, but online. If you are the only person in your class who needs to self-isolate, then you will be offered an alternative online class.
  • Up-to-date information on self-isolation can be found on the NHS England website.

 Will online courses still be available after we reopen?

  • We believe these are a great way to learn English if you are not able to travel to the UK. They can also be a fantastic way to prepare for your trip to the UK if you want to improve your English before you start your face-to-face course or if you would like to do some follow-up study after you return home. Please follow this link to our online courses Top Up Learning.

Can’t find the answer to your question here? Simply send your query to our Principal Sam Malafeh or James Normal who will be happy to help you:

Sam Malafeh: sam.malafeh@topuplearning.com

James Norman: dos@topuplearning.com

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