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Essential coronavirus info
Your safety is our first priority.

Health and safety - 2020/21

Student in a studio, wearing a mask.
Ziyi Zhu in the Studio. BA (Hons) 3D Design. Camberwell College of Arts. (Credit: © Alys Tomlinson)

At UAL, we’ve been working hard to make your learning environment as safe as possible.

Online only courses during spring term

The UK government has imposed new restrictions on the mass movement of students. Online teaching will therefore continue for all courses at UAL throughout the spring term, with a return to in-person teaching in the summer term subject to government guidance.

Watch: Keeping you safe on campus

National lockdown from 6 January

England is currently under a national lockdown. This means:

You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:

  • shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person
  • go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
  • exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
  • meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one
  • seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)

Please continue to adhere to our Community Pledge at all times.

Enhanced health and safety measures in our buildings

The Learning Zone at London College of Communication is available to use as study space for students of any college who are already in London with no access to facilities where they live. You must book before travelling. All other academic buildings are currently closed to UAL students.

If you are visiting the Learning Zone, please be aware that some additional changes have been implemented for your safety:

  • Unless you are exempt, students attending a UAL building for any purpose will be required to wear a medical face mask in place of a cloth face covering while on site. These will be issued to you on arrival. Students who book into the Learning Zone at LCC at any time during lockdown will be required to wear medical face masks whilst they are using the facility.
  • Everyone on site must strictly observe 2-metres social distancing rules, wash their hands frequently and for 20 seconds (and use hand gel) and wear the correct face masks and visors unless they are exempt.
  • If you feel ill in any way, you must remain at home and not come onto site. If you think you may have COVID-19, you must get tested and follow the NHS Test and Trace and UAL Report and Trace processes.

Travel corridors suspended

Travel corridors were suspended from 18 January 2021.

If you arrive in England from anywhere outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man you must:

Read about travel and transport measures in place to protect England from coronavirus.’

Face coverings

All staff, students and visitors must wear face coverings at all times when in UAL buildings. Exemptions include, but aren't limited to:

  • anyone who cannot put on, wear or remove a mask because of a physical or mental illness, impairment or disability
  • where wearing a mask will cause severe distress
  • if you’re required to lip-read
  • when eating or drinking.

UAL Report and Trace

You must let us know if:

  • you are self-isolating
  • or you test positive for coronavirus.

We are keeping records of all people who enter our sites. If you have been in contact with somebody who has coronavirus, NHS Test and Trace will contact you. You must follow their instructions.

If the NHS advises you to self-isolate, you should contact:

  • your course tutor
  • your Residence Manager (if you live in UAL accommodation).

You should  complete the Report COVID-19 form if you are self-isolating or if you have tested positive for COVID-19, even if you have not been on to a UAL site.

We’re working with Public Health England (PHE) and supporting the NHS Test and Trace scheme. We will only share information with PHE if they ask us to. We will not use this data for any other purposes and we will delete it after 21 days.

Read our full Report and Trace Policy (PDF 208KB).

If you have further questions, check our Report and Trace FAQs (PDF 196KB).

Watch: Identifying and reporting COVID-19 and mental health support

Deep cleaning

All of our sites have undergone a deep clean in preparation for your arrival. This includes

  • all classrooms
  • workshops
  • learning environments
  • canteens and shops.

Preparing our spaces

All across the University, you’ll find signage reminding you:

  • to keep your distance
  • to wear a face covering
  • where you’ll need to wait for others to finish before you can proceed. For example, in a queue or some smaller spaces.

We’ve installed hand sanitising stations across the university to help you keep your hands clean and to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

Sign saying 'Stay safe, keep your distance'
Stay safe, keep your distance. Signage by UAL. - Credit: Image courtesy of UAL Caption

Travelling in London

You must wear a face covering when using public transport or taking a taxi.

Visit the TfL website for an overview of measures they have introduced to help keep you safe. These include:

  • Enhanced cleaning
  • Social distancing
  • Increased hand sanitising stations

It’s important to plan your journey before leaving home, as some routes and lines are operating with reduced capacity.

Keeping each other safe

It’s important that we all play our part to stop the spread of coronavirus and to keep each other safe. You can do this by sticking to a few simple rules when travelling around the University.

  1. If you feel sick at any point with the symptoms of coronavirus, you must stay at home. If you’re in one of our buildings, you should leave immediately and contact the National Health Service (NHS) on 111.
  2. When on site use the hand sanitising gel provided.
  3. You should wash your hands frequently with soap and water, for a minimum of 20 seconds each time.
  4. We’ve worked out just how many students can be on site at one time, so you must only attend your College when you have a class or when you have pre-arranged a visit.
  5. The wearing of face coverings is mandatory at UAL unless you have a valid reason not to.
  6. You should sanitise your workstation before and after use.

Related documents:

Coronavirus Risk Assessment (PDF 146KB)

More information

  • Student adding notes to a sketchbook
    Sketchbook by Cynthia Porta Fernandez. Foundation Diploma in Art and Design. Camberwell College of Arts.

    Credit: © Alys Tomlinson
    Attending your course

    Check our guidance on enroling and attending your course, and what to do if you're concerned.

  • Student at a desk using their laptop
    Zoe Zanon Rives in the studio.Fashion: Buying and Merchandising. London College of Fashion.

    Credit: © Alys Tomlinson
    Teaching and learning

    See our quick guide to learning and studying in the new term.

  • Student sketching at a table
    Sketchbook by Josep Barnadas, BA (Hons) Fine Art Drawing. Camberwell College of Arts

    Credit: © Alys Tomlinson
    Working safely at home

    Important guidance on how to study and create safely at home.

  • Student holding up artwork
    Emanuela Ogunji working in the Studio, BA (Hons) Fine Art, Chelsea College of Arts.

    Credit: © Alys Tomlinson
    Wellbeing

    Tips and tools to help you stay healthy

Contact us

If you have a query that is not answered here, you can: