All the policies listed below have been put in place to enable the programme to run from 17 May 2021, once international travel restrictions were lifted. We would expect guidance to change significantly between now and July 2023, and will update our guidance regularly.

For 41 years we have prided ourselves on providing an exceptional experience for students and their families. ISCA is a family-run business with an emphasis on personal communication. Our personal support begins the moment you make your first enquiry with us and continues until your child returns safely home. We guarantee to respond to emails within 24 hours, 7 days a week.

To provide you with peace of mind, we have put together a package of measures when booking your 2023 programme with us. The situation is dynamic in the UK, meaning guidance constantly evolves and changes in line with the scientific data. The guidance outlined here has been prepared so that we could deliver our programme within current social distancing requirements.

The rural setting of our campus, combined with a focus on outdoor activities, minimises the risk of COVID-19 during our programme.

UK rules and regulations are expected to change prior to the summer, and as they do, we will regularly update this guidance on our website. We shall carefully respond to the latest government guidance, and prioritise the wellbeing, safety and learning of all students. Should restrictions be further eased by the summer, we will update our measures, and inform you and your family of any changes.

Safety Measures at our Campuses

Charterhouse School and Cranleigh School operated as normal between April 2021 and July 2022. At the time of writing, the schools have returned to full boarding for the Autumn Term 2022. ISCA are in regular contact with the schools, learning from their experience of best practice and suitable infection prevention control measures in a boarding school setting. Their experience, combined with ISCA following the UK government’s latest safety guidance and the BSA (Boarding Schools’ Association) COVID-SAFE Charter, makes us confident we can deliver a truly memorable summer camp experience in a safe and secure environment.

Specific policies that have been put in place include:

• Additional hygiene and cleaning arrangements have been put in place, for example sanitisers in all boarding houses and communal areas, and regular cleaning of key touch points. Enhanced cleaning of all boarding houses and communal areas will also be in place.
• Personal hand gel will be provided to all students as well as regular reminders to wash hands throughout the day.
• Social distancing will be encouraged, where appropriate, with a one-way system in operation in the centre of the campus.
• Additional PPE in the form of masks will be used where necessary.
• Opportunity for all students and staff to raise any concerns.
• ISCA are very clear that any bullying related to the pandemic will not be tolerated and will result in a warning, followed subsequently by removal from the programme.

Single Rooms Only

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have arranged with Charterhouse and Cranleigh to ensure that all students and staff are accommodated at the school in their own private bedroom. If you have siblings of the same gender attending the same course at the same time, please contact us if you would like them to share a room.

Testing on Arrival

All ISCA staff will be tested prior to students arriving. The exact procedure will follow the latest technology and requirements in July 2023. Currently, our advice is to use rapid lateral flow tests administered by trained staff. Results will be returned within 30 minutes. All ISCA staff will be vaccinated.

A student or member of ISCA staff will be required to take a test and self-isolate during the programme if they have any of the following symptoms:

• A temperature, fever or feeling feverish. This is defined as 37.8 or greater.
• A new and continuous cough. As a guide, ‘continuous’ is coughing a lot for an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours.
• Loss of sense of taste or smell.
• A range of other symptoms that potentially indicate a COVID-19 infection has been identified, as advised by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Tests will be available through Public Health England and through our rapid-lateral flow testing capacity. Parents/guardians will be contacted if their child develops symptoms. ISCA will ask permission to conduct a test and, if positive, will supervise the student and cover any costs incurred, including rebooking flights and providing a chaperone if required.

If a student or member of staff tests positive for COVID-19, they will isolate in their private bedroom for 3 days. Separate bathroom facilities will be available in each boarding house. There will be time allocated during the day for the students or members of staff with COVID-19 to get some fresh air and exercise on campus, if they so wish.

Excursions

Visiting famous cities and tourist destinations is a key part of our summer programme. We ensure that every sight we visit has implemented the correct Government and Public Health guidance to obtain the ‘We’re Good to Go’ industry standard and consumer mark.

Coach Travel

Our coach company, Safeguard Coaches, have been accredited as ‘Good to Go’ by Visit England.

The coaches are deep cleaned every day before the start of service, using virucidal fogging. This process permeates the entire vehicle air-conditioning system to reduce the chance of any infection recirculating.

Drivers clean touchpoints and exposed surfaces throughout the day. Drivers are temperature checked every day before starting a shift.

All passengers will be required to sanitise their hands before they get on and when they get off the coach. Face coverings will also be worn on board the coaches.

Coaches will be filled from the back of the coach towards the front of the coach, and offloaded in reverse, to maintain social distancing.

Quality guaranteed

The ISCA Summer Camp should be a truly memorable experience for all our students. As such, we are taking steps to guarantee the quality of the experience, and ensure your child has the experience of a lifetime.

Rules and regulations can change quickly, which means some of the locations we traditionally visit on excursions or aspects of the social programme might change. Even so, we will ensure that you still have a great summer camp experience.

We have worked carefully with Charterhouse School and Cranleigh School to develop the very best COVID-secure programme based on their experience and will communicate any changes to the policies listed above as UK government guidance changes as we approach July 2023.

Updated: 13/09/2022