Our Covid-19 Response

Apply with Confidence

Our Refund Promise

• For our 2022 programs, we will offer a full refund (including the usually non-refundable deposit) if UK government legislation obliges us to cancel all of our Cambridge programs.
• In the event that government restrictions due to Covid-19 prevent your attendance on our summer programs (e.g. your country’s government or the UK government imposes a travel ban, or you are unable to secure a visa due to Covid-19 restrictions), we will offer you a range of flexible options:
  • Switch your program: We would work with you to find dates that are more suitable.
  • Switch to an online course: Take one of our highly rated, personalised one-to-one academic courses tailored to your needs. Visit www.reachcambridgetutors.com for more information.
  • Receive a refund: In the extraordinary circumstances outlined above, we will allow you to cancel and receive a refund of your balance, upon informing us by email and presenting documents verifying the reason for your cancellation. Please see the Force Majeure section in clause 23 of our Terms & Conditions for more information.

If UK government legislation does not prevent us from running the program, then we will proceed as planned with summer 2022. Any participants choosing to cancel their place will be allowed to do so in line with our normal cancellation policy as outlined in our Terms & Conditions.

As with every summer, we recommend all families take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance prior to the program. Links to our travel insurance affiliates will be available via your online account. Many insurers do offer cover for coronavirus-related events, e.g. trip cancellation if you are unable to travel due to a positive covid test result/a requirement to self isolate, and cover for medical expenses/the cost of an extended stay if you contract Covid-19 while travelling.  We recommend that you look for a suitable insurance policy covering such coronavirus-related eventualities.

Our Covid-19 Safety Plan

‘Participant welfare is paramount to the Provider. The ratio of staff to participant numbers is generous for example, in some lessons, two teachers are provided, or additional supervisors allocated, to ensure learning and safety are optimised.’ British Accreditation Council, Reach Cambridge inspection report, 2018

The health and safety of our students and staff is of the utmost importance to us. We have consistently met and exceeded rigorous standards in Student Welfare and Safety as part of our accreditation from the British Accreditation Council (BAC). Furthermore, our welfare processes and contingency plans have been honed over the many years we have been running our programs, as we have dealt with incidents both large and small that have demanded robust and clear action plans.

For summer 2021, we were careful to research, create and implement a robust Covid-19 policy, with clear guidelines and a risk assessment which was enforced across the board. For summer 2022, we will continue to develop and update these policies as guidance evolves. After a Covid-free summer in 2021, we are confident we can provide a safe, supportive and enjoyable experience for all involved.

We have received the ‘Good to Go’ industry mark to reassure our customers that our business adheres to government and public health guidance. In addition, we have received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, enabling travellers to recognise destinations that have adopted health and hygiene global standardised protocols.

Our mission has always been about bringing together bright and talented young people from around the world in a shared endeavour to prepare for their future – and that mission feels more important now than ever. We are confident that we will be able to offer a safe and supportive environment that still includes all of the joys of a truly international, engaging and life-changing Reach Cambridge program.

International Travel to the UK

The UK borders are fully open and we continue to welcome visitors from all over the world. We expect the situation to continue to improve as we look towards summer 2022. Details and restrictions vary per country so please visit the UK government website for more information.

Looking back at our Summer 2021 Covid-19 Policies and Guidelines

We do not envisage all of this applying for next summer, but we thought it might be helpful to share some of the key points from our summer 2021 Covid-19 policy and guidelines.

SUMMER 2021

Enhanced Safety Protocols

We followed all UK government safety guidelines and site-specific requirements for our programs. These are likely to include, but not limited to, the following;

• Adhering to social distancing and wearing face-masks where required.
• Students and staff will be provided with all necessary PPE, and hand-washing stations will be clearly marked and hand sanitiser readily available.
• We will be implementing enhanced cleaning procedures in all accommodation and shared spaces.
• All staff will be tested before the start of the program and all travellers will be required to be tested before travelling to the UK according to current government regulations.
• We will carry out a bi-weekly internal testing program as recommended by the UK government. We will continue to monitor guidance on testing requirements.
• If any staff or student tests positive we will ensure full compliance with government guidance, which currently involves a period of isolation.

Each family will receive a copy of our Covid-19 safety procedures and protocols in their welcome pack prior to their arrival in Cambridge.

Supervisory staff are first aid trained and will receive specific training related to Covid-19. Cambridge benefits from a world-leading research hospital and we have several GPs (Family doctors) and health experts within easy access of our accommodation.

If a student tests positive for Covid-19 and is required to self-isolate but feels well enough, we will ensure they can still access teaching and events virtually where possible so they do not miss out.

Accommodation

We are in close contact with Colleges and other partners regarding the safety processes and regulations required for this summer in all accommodation and shared spaces.  Accommodation has been operational throughout the year, with appropriate safety procedures in place.

Students will be accommodated in single rooms. Siblings or members of the same household may request to share a room subject to availability and covid guidelines. As happens every year, students will be accommodated within a small group of students alongside one Reach supervisor who is directly in charge of their overall welfare and lives onsite 24/7.

Academics & Evening Lectures

We are committed to providing the same unparalleled, high-quality teaching and learning this summer.

Social distancing may need to be in place in shared spaces, including classrooms. This may mean we need to limit spaces on some courses due to classroom size, but we will do all that we can to accommodate all students where it is safe and possible to do so.

Overall Experience

Although some aspects may be slightly different, we will do all we can to provide the same unforgettable, engaging and life-changing experience to all students this year. We understand that now more than ever, students are craving the opportunity to communicate openly and broaden their horizons with other students from all over the world.

We are working hard to provide as many opportunities as possible for students to socialise, learn and grow together in a safe environment. We plan to offer many of our usual exciting and inclusive activities as well as excursions to places outside of Cambridge. Cambridge itself is blessed with a wide range of museums, historic sites and outside spaces for recreation and exercise, not to mention the beautiful river Cam and the 31 Colleges.

Do you have questions or feedback?

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch via our contact form to arrange a phone call or online video call. Many thanks for all your support & we can’t wait to welcome you to Cambridge!

The Reach Cambridge Team

Please note – Circumstances are changing, so protocols are likely to change too. We will be following the UK government roadmap and updates closely and we remain in close contact with Colleges and other key stakeholders.