1/THREAD: today, for the 1st time since 17th March - 175 days - I went onto college site. It was great to see everyone again (apart from those absent due to quarantining from holiday) and to be back learning

@JBelgutay @AoC_info @Niamhms23 @TomWhittonUK @BTECStudents

2/THREAD: as expected, there are lots of new rules in place: we're in tutor group bubbles with our own classrooms and are discouraged from mixing; wiping down laptops et c. before borrowing - no rules established yet on subject technical equipment. Oh, and spitting is now banned.

3/THREAD: we were given 1 college branded covering. Non-branded ones are banned. If you need/want to buy a new one, it's £5. When asked what happens if it's dirty or in the wash and can't be worn, a teacher replied: "great question. They've not thought that far ahead yet."

4/THREAD: face coverings are compulsory in shared-spaces, not classrooms. Although interestingly, with no prompting, most of my class seemed to keep ours on in lesson; like I say, not all young people are reckless.

5/THREAD: staff shortages mean they've merged 2 tutor groups, creating a mega-class of 36. We follow the same timetable, share the same tutor. Input together in lessons, then splitting into the 2 groups to complete work. Confusion atm what exactly our bubble is - 2 groups, or 1?

6/THREAD: further questions about bubbles - what if my friends are in another bubble and I feel socially-isolated from them and can't see them at lunch etc while at college - how can colleges manage the mental health element of this?

7/THREAD: for me as a vulnerable SEND student, it raises questions - am I safe to be in college? There are clear risks, very little social distancing & some non-compliance with rules - but how does that way up against FOMO? This is in the background of daily increases of cases.

8/THREAD: my friends and I were expecting some blended learning - but apparently not: we're on site full time (2.5 days only mind). It raises the question - why are we on site all the time? Is it not more COVID-secure and sustainable to take a blended approach?

9/THREAD: my classmates all share the biggest frustration - the lack of clear, frequent communication from all sides. We had no idea about any of the changes until today, or our return date until we got an email last week, with a letter attached dated a month ago.

10/THREAD: it's clear that there's still work to be done to get this sustainable. But it felt really, really good to be back in a classroom, waiting for PowerPoint to stop freezing, surrounded by friends. We need now to all play our part in following rules and being sensible.