Coronavirus: Scarborough College giving its foreign students an option to stay at Easter rather than travel home

Some pupils at Scarborough College stayed in the town rather than travel to be with their families for the February half-term break, and may be faced with the same for the Easter holidays.

In a letter to parents, seen by The Scarborough News, the college’s Deputy Headteacher Tim Cashell says one of the boarding houses will be kept open during the two-week April recess should students decide to stay, in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

Director of Marketing and Admissions Remco Weeda said the college decided to stay open because some pupils would be going home to what are classed as Category One countries.

Because anyone returning from these areas is required to self-isolate for 14 days, they would not be able to come back into school and would risk missing exams.

“It’s devastating for them not to be able to go home but we didn’t want them to risk missing their exams,” he said.

In an earlier letter to parents, dated Feburary 26, Headmaster Guy Emmett said some students had stayed at the college during the last holiday.

“All our previous requirements on travel and quarantine remain in place and we are grateful to boarding parents who accepted our advice, where necessary, for their child not to return home at half term. I understand how difficult this must have been for the children and their families involved,” he wrote.

“The College has to take reasonable measures to protect staff and pupils. We can advise pupils not to leave but we do not have the right to prevent any pupil from travelling home. Any measures that we put in place will be reasonable.”

The letter also states that, following reports of children elsewhere in the UK being targeted on the basis of their ethnicity and a perceived link to the virus, the college is ensuring boarders are protected when outside school.

The Government is urging anyone who has travelled to some areas of the world within the last 14 days to self isolate, even if they have no symptoms.

For more information visit www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public