We have finally started to receive one or two emails and phone calls in regards to the coronavirus and since most of the questions are the same, we thought it would be a good idea to update you regarding the coronavirus and Buckswood Overseas Summer School (BOSS).
Are there any updates or changes to your cancellation/refund policy?
Yes, and the updates are as follows:
We will refund any deposits (usually non-refundable) only if a student cannot travel due to travel restrictions sanctioned by the UK or their country of origin.
We will fully refund any fees that have been paid in full only if a student cannot travel due to travel restrictions sanctioned by the UK or their country of origin.
Alternatively, students can use any paid fees that have been paid to change their booking to an alternative time.
If the UK government or the government in a student’s country of origin have not sanctioned travel restrictions and a customer wishes to cancel a booking, our usual cancellation policy will apply and the non-refundable deposit will not be refunded. Our cancellation policy can be found in our terms and conditions here.
We do not believe that it would be ethical for us to keep any paid fees, including deposit if someone must cancel their course due to something that is completely out of their control.
What precautions is BOSS taking to prevent spread of the coronavirus?
As we only have students for three weeks during our Spring Course (29th March to 18th April) and seven weeks during our Summer School (28th June to 15th August), we do not currently have students in-house. When our Spring Course starts however on the 29th March, we will be following the guidelines as set by the British government and our National Health Service.
The advice set out by the British government can be found here and the advice set out by our National Health Service can be found here.
In brief, the chance of getting coronavirus in the UK has only just been raised from low to moderate and in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the National Health Service is advising that you:
wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
always wash your hands when you get home or into work
use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards
try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
Where are your students from?
Buckswood Overseas Summer School is and always will be open to students from all across the globe however during this time, we will be following the advice of the British government which can be found here.
Life goes on
For now, all we can do is take each day as it comes and despite what you may be hearing and reading in the media, life is normal here in the UK. We will continue to monitor the coronavirus situation and take advice from the British government and National Health Service.
Currently, we have not yet received any cancellations so life goes on. We are receiving more enquiries and bookings for our Summer School than we ever have previously and our Spring Course is still going ahead on the 29th March. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the coronavirus and Buckswood Overseas Summer School, please do let us know and we will do our best to help you.
BOSS is a British Council accredited language school for students aged 8 to 17 from across the globe. To find out more, please visit www.buckswoodsummerschool.com or contact us here.