Coronavirus FAQs - for Students, Applicants and Staff

If you have any coronavirus symptoms, please adhere to the latest government guidelines. Let us know as soon as possible using the form below and don’t attend ICMP.

REPORT SYMPTOMS

It’s crucial we’re aware of any students who test positive to coronavirus. We have an obligation to return data on our students to our regulators and Public Health England, and being aware of any positive cases allows us to act accordingly within our ICMP community. If you do test positive to COVID-19, please let us know as soon as possible using this form.

If you fall into any of the self-isolation categories outlined by the UK Government, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing academic.support@icmp.ac.uk. You can read the latest NHS details about self-isolation on their website.

The COVID-19 vaccination is available to everyone aged 18 or over at local sites run by GPs or community pharmacies, at larger vaccination centres and in some hospitals. Local areas may also work with partners to set up “pop up” temporary clinics at locations convenient for students to access, for example, on university campuses.

Students registered with a GP can book their appointment at a larger vaccination centre, a community pharmacy run site or at some GP run sites through the National Booking Service website or by phoning 119.

Students registered with a GP in their hometown, but not where they study (or vice versa) can still book both appointments online through the National Booking Service at a location that is convenient to them, or book a first dose through their GP and a second dose in a different location through the National Booking Service. 

International Students

International students are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination in the UK for free, regardless of their nationality or immigration status.

Do international students need to pay for the vaccine? Nobody in England has to pay for the COVID-19 vaccination. The COVID-19 vaccination is free of charge and does not count as the kind of care that requires payment. International students or anyone seeing requests for payment should report this activity to their university institution and to Action Fraud. More information on COVID-19 vaccine scams is on the Action Fraud website here. 

How does an international student get a vaccine? International students should be encouraged to register with a GP and get an NHS number. An NHS number can be found on any letter the NHS has sent you, on a prescription, or by logging in to a GP practice online service. You can also find an NHS number using this tool.

It is possible to request to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments as an unregistered patient by approaching a local GP practice.

While registration with a GP is encouraged to access the vaccine, individuals can request to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments as an unregistered patient through a local GP practice. Students can be directed to nhs.uk/register for more information on GP registration.

If an international student is not registered with a GP, will they still be invited for their vaccination? Students who are not registered with a GP will not be proactively contacted by a local NHS service. We encourage all students to register with a GP and they can be directed to www.nhs.uk/register for more information.

However, international students can book their vaccination appointments via the National Booking Service with their NHS number if they have previously received NHS treatment. You can also find an NHS number using this tool.

Read full NHS Student Vaccination FAQs here

Yes. Our Dyne Road facilities are currently being prepared for the start of the 2021/22 academic year and will be accessible from the 13th September for rehearsal, recording and study in a managed capacity. All teams and support services continue to be available to students, and this has remained the case throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

ICMP's facilities are currently available to Graduating Level 6 students - up until the end of September. From 1st October to 31st December graduating students will continue to be able to access our Dyne Road facilities on Saturdays and Sundays until 1pm. Please note that uptake will be monitored and reviewed on a monthly basis, and we reserve the right to withdraw this offer if there is no demand, or if we experience a detrimental impact on access for current students.

ICMP strongly encourages all students and staff to participate in the testing programme.

On arrival at university, students should take 2 LFD tests (3 to 4 days apart) using home test kits or at an on-site testing facility. This is to reduce the risk of transmission following the movement of students across the country.

Students and staff should test twice each week using home test kits or at an on-site testing facility until the end of September, when this will be reviewed. Decisions about testing arrangements after September will be taken in response to the latest public health advice. The position will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Home test kits remain available from Facilities and all returning students will be expected to show their NHS recorded Negative test results.

If a student or staff member has recently (within 90 days) tested positive for COVID-19, they are likely to have developed some immunity. If a student or staff member has had a confirmed positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19 in the last 90 days, they do not need to be tested again within that time period if they are asymptomatic. They are still required to follow the national guidance for adults who have been identified as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case, even if this is within the 90 day window.

Where students have a medical or other reason that prevents them from engaging in LFD testing, they should talk to their HE provider about alternatives.

In September 2021, we will be returning to a primarily onsite, face-to-face ;learning experience. All subjects and classes that are best suited to face-to-face delivery – such as performance activity, studio classes and other practical workshops – will be timetabled into the appropriate teaching spaces at our campuses. All of these sessions will be socially-distanced and properly ventilated. In order to facilitate socially-distanced learning, we have reduced our group sizes to a maximum of 13 and, because of the consequent need to run more sessions, some learning activity will take place online. We have listened to student feedback and only planned online delivery for those subjects and classes that work well in this mode, such as lectures and discussion seminars. This blend of onsite and online education will ensure we can facilitate the highest quality of learning and teaching, whilst ensuring the ongoing safety of all students and staff. 

The blended learning experience will vary between programmes.

Undergraduate: First and Second year students
Students will normally experience two days per week of onsite face-to-face teaching. The rest of your timetable will be delivered online through a combination of Canvas (our online central learning environment) and Microsoft Teams.

Undergraduate: Final year students
Final year undergraduate students will have at least one day of onsite face-to-face teaching per week. The rest of your timetable will be delivered online through a combination of Canvas and Microsoft Teams.

Postgraduate students
Postgraduate students will experience onsite face-to-face classes as the default position. They will be supported by online supervisions/classes on the modules where this works effectively and with no detriment to the student experience.

Timetables  - All students will have access to their timetables in August, we will email to confirm when these have been released. 

Further details can be found alongside detail of our revised Two Stage Delivery model here.

ICMP’s Wellbeing Team is available to help and support you with mental health-related issues. Please contact them via student.wellbeing@icmp.ac.uk.

There are also plenty of external resources available if you need to speak with someone at any time:

SAMARITANS
www.samaritans.org
Talk anytime you like, about anything that’s bothering you, in your own way and off the record.
Phone 116 123
jo@samaritans.org.uk
Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 or visit give us a shout.

TOGETHERALL
www.togetherall.com
You're not alone. Togetherall is a safe place to talk, share the load and support others like you. It’s available 24/7, 365 days a year and is FREE for all ICMP students.

STUDENT MINDS
www.studentminds.org.uk
Supporting you to look after your mental health during the coronavirus pandemic.

NHS MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT ONLINE
www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters
Looking after your mental health.

If you’re a current student and have immediate financial needs, you may be able to access support from our Hardship Fund. Please contact studentwellbeing@icmp.ac.uk to find out more or visit the Hardship Fund page on My.ICMP to start your application.

If you’re currently living in a shared house or bedsit, please be extra careful, as you’re more at risk from COVID-19. Preventing the spread of coronavirus can be more difficult when living in close proximity to other people. The new strains of COVID-19 are highly contagious and positive cases can spread very quickly. Around one in three people with coronavirus have no symptoms, so will be spreading it without them realising.

It’s really important that you follow public health advice to keep yourself and others safe:

• If you have symptoms, don’t use shared facilities at the same time as other people
• Don’t invite visitors into your home
• Wash your hands regularly
• Clean the bathroom and kitchen more frequently with household cleaning products
• Clean things people touch the most, such as taps, tables, door handles, light switches and remote controls
• Open windows regularly

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, stay at home and book a free COVID test. Everyone in your house will have to self-isolate for 10 full days  as well.

If you are worried about symptoms, or someone you live with, call NHS 111. In an emergency, dial 999.

Information taken from https://www.brent.gov.uk/your-community/coronavirus/staying-safe-in-shared-housing

If you’re in a clinical high-risk category, please make contact with our Academic Support Team and they’ll advise you accordingly. The team can be contacted via academic.support@icmp.ac.uk

If you’re unable to travel to the UK because of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions,  an online delivery mode may be available to you. This will let you connect with your tutors and fellow students until you're able to come to the UK to start your studies in person. Please contact the Academic Support team (academic.support@icmp.ac.uk) in the first instance and they will be able to advise you of your options.

Guidance for people entering the UK from abroad is constantly changing. We recommend you visit gov.uk closer to your travel time and follow the relevant up-to-date advice.

Yes, our facilities are now open to students for rehearsal, recording, study and assessments. During the summer months, facilities are available to students as follows:

First-year (Level 4) and Second-year (Level 5) students - up until the 31st July 
Graduating L6 students - up until the end of September 

To avoid unnecessary travel or having too many students on-site at once, please book rooms or facilities in advance using our existing booking system.

You should adhere to the following guidelines when visiting our facilities: 

Entering our buildings
When visiting Dyne Road, please enter the building through the usual front door and exit from the rear. You must sign in on the Reception desk using your ID card, and touch out again at the exit point adjacent to the rear door as you leave the building. It’s essential you check in and out each time you enter or leave, even if you’re only going for lunch. 

All visitors to Dyne Road, and our Acton studios, will receive temperature checks on entry and you must be prepared to show a negative Lateral Flow Test (LFT) result taken within the previous five days. This will ensure optimal safety and peace of mind for all building users.

As an ICMP student, you can access free testing at sites throughout the Borough of Brent. Book your test here.  Home Test kits are also available from our Facilities desk, these are free and available to all students and staff. 

Moving around the buildings 
Social distancing and managed movement around the buildings remains in place, with two-metre social distancing required, wherever possible. At Dyne Road, please continue to use the front staircase to ascend the building and the rear staircase to descend. 
 
Face coverings 

Face coverings are no longer advised for students, staff and visitors either in teaching rooms or in communal areas.

The government has removed the requirement to wear face coverings in law but expects and recommends that they are worn in enclosed and crowded spaces where people may come into contact with people they don’t normally meet. This includes public transport.

If there is an outbreak in a HE setting, a director of public health might advise that face coverings should temporarily be worn in communal areas or teaching rooms (by students, staff and visitors, unless exempt). Providers should make sure their outbreak management plans cover this possibility.

Yes, our equipment remains available to students for onsite use. All our musical equipment is thoroughly cleaned after every booking. 

If you have specific equipment requirements that are critical to your academic work, please contact us at facilitiesteam@icmp.ac.uk and we'll see if we can assist.

Please don’t worry! If you’re unable to complete your work on time, you can request additional time due to ‘extenuating circumstances’. Applying is straightforward and more information can be found here.

For now, keep the book safe and contact us at library@icmp.ac.uk to confirm you have it. We can then ensure a note is placed against your library record.

Now that we’ve reopened, if you’re still unable to return a book that's left in your student accommodation, please ask one of your ICMP housemates to return it to our Reception desk or the library with a note which lists your name as the current borrower of the book.

If you’re unhappy with your ICMP experience, you should speak with your Programme Leader. They’ll be able to address your concerns and escalate the matter, as appropriate.

Another route is to feedback to us on what is and isn’t working. You can do this through our well-established system of Student Reps and Student Officers, who will feed your concerns into our Student Senate, led by a Student President and Vice-President. Full details on how to access this route can be found here.

Your rights are protected under UK law and our refund policy applies as normal. We’re doing everything we reasonably can to deliver what we’ve committed to and will ensure you can continue your course and achieve your goals regardless of the coronavirus restrictions imposed on us. If you think you haven’t received the right level of service or support from us, we’ll examine your situation and make sure we resolve your issues. If we’re unable to do so, we’ll consider your case under our refund policy.

We subscribe to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA). If you’ve already studied with us and feel we haven’t applied our policy fairly and appropriately in your specific case, you can ask them to review our decision. The OIA is completely independent and there’s no charge to use this service.