Rooms for overseas students to isolate

The University of Bath is making hundreds of rooms available to students travelling from overseas who need to self-isolate.

It has been preparing for the arrival of 3,600 new students amid the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing restrictions.

After the prescribed time in self-isolation, students will then be able to move to their more permanent accommodation.

They will then form households within their flat or kitchen group.

A University of Bath spokesperson said: “The university has been carefully planning for the safe start of the 2020/21 academic year for the safety of staff, students and the wider community.

The spokesperson continued: “We will welcome up to 3,600 new undergraduate students at the start of semester, which is in line with recent years after stabilising our undergraduate intake since 2016.

“Students in university accommodation will form households within their flat or kitchen group. We have invested in our accommodation by installing new hand basins, so each student has access to an individual sink.”

In line with government guidance, the university has also implemented new measures to ensure social distancing can take place.

The spokesman said: “Across campus we have taken numerous steps including putting social distancing measures in place, enhancing cleaning regimes, creating one-way systems and re-purposing our spaces on campus to allow for this.

“In addition, we are making hundreds of rooms available on campus for new students travelling from countries that require a period of self-isolation after arriving in the UK, before moving into their permanent accommodation.”

Not only has the university had to plan around a worldwide pandemic but also the A-level grade fiasco which saw many students qualify for university places following a Government U-turn.

Initially many students lost out on places after receiving low marks by Ofqual but, following public outcry, grades were reassessed using teacher predictions.

It meant that some students made their top university choices but after the initial clearing process had occurred.

The University of Bath said that many courses were already full by the time grades were confirmed but that they have offered entry for next year to those who missed out.

The spokesperson said: “As a result of the changes to how A-level and other grades were awarded this year many of our courses were already full by the time revised grades were confirmed.

“Where possible we have admitted applicants to start this year, but we have been very careful not to over-recruit for everyone’s safety.

“Therefore we have offered places for deferred entry in 2021 to applicants who met their offers, but who we couldn’t accommodate this year.”