Our Response to COVID-19

Keeping Our Students & Staff Safe - LSI's Response to COVID-19

Dear Students and Partners,

Our first priority at LSI is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students and staff. LSI schools have been working tirelessly in response to the growing challenges we all face from the pandemic and we’d like to inform you about key changes now in effect.

The situation is being reviewed constantly and any substantive changes will be posted on our website. Please don’t hesitate to contact LSI schools or your LSI representatives if you have any questions at all.

LSI Schools Reopening Schedule
LSI Vancouver	Open
LSI Auckland
LSI Paris

LSI Boston
LSI London Central	Open
LSI Brighton
LSI Cambridge
LSI College
LSI Zurich	Open
LSI San Diego	Open
LSI Toronto	Open
LSI Brisbane	Online lessons until borders reopen.
LSI New York	Open
LSI San Francisco/Berkeley	Open for ESTA and B1/B2 visa holders only.
LSI London Hampstead	Reopening date to be announced.

LSI COVID-19 Charter - LSI Schools Operating Subject to Social Distancing & Public Health Guidelines

Policies, Procedures & Infrastructure in Place

Social distancing & cleaning policies & procedures in line with local government advice in place in every school
Social distancing policies & procedures in place for all accommodation providers
All administrative & academic staff trained on latest school policies
Physical infrastructure in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including ventilation & partitions where appropriate
Suitable self-isolation area & programme in place in school and at every accommodation for students who feel unwell or show symptoms &/or test positive
Students & staff asked to declare symptoms, or contact with symptomatic individuals or self-isolating individuals before arrival and regularly during their stay
Students & staff asked to disclose any relevant medical conditions
Students and staff who are at greater risk of getting a severe illness from COVID-19 due to an underlying medical condition, those who are pregnant, and those who are over 70, encouraged to work & study remotely if possible
Contact Tracing information: multiple overlapping systems to support contact tracing including sign-in/sign-out sheets & class registers
Policy in place for students & staff testing positive for COVID-19
All schools to maintain multiple modes of communication with all students & staf

Student Travel

Written information on arrival procedures at the selected airport, transfer, accommodation & school buildings provided to student prior to departure
Students provided with official letter confirming arrangements to be presented upon arrival in the country, including 24hr emergency contact
Airport transfer driver to follow appropriate social distancing guidelines including face coverings

Accommodation

LSI homestay hosts given clear guidance on social distancing & cleaning policies & procedures
LSI hosts asked to declare symptoms, or contact with symptomatic individuals or self-isolating individuals before student arrival and regularly during their stay
All hosts have agreed to allow students to self-isolate in their property if required
Hosts provided with guidance on isolating with students if anyone in the household displays symptoms
Students only placed into residential accommodation when there is a clear policy on social distancing
Backup or emergency accommodation that meets social distancing guidelines is also available

In School

Social distancing policies clearly explained to students & staff in detailed induction
Notices of all current procedures clearly displayed in school common areas and are available upon request
Students and staff to remain at home if they are sick, have any COVID-19 symptoms, are in isolation, or are awaiting COVID-19 test results. Students & staff to not come into the school or have contact with other students & staff for 14 days if they have symptoms or have been in contact with anyone tested positive.
Students required to stay out of the school building will have access to the same number of teacher contact hours online in our virtual classrooms – this includes any required quarantine period upon arrival.
LSI teaching & administrative staff to wear visors and all students encouraged to wear their own visors or other face coverings. A supply of visors &/or masks is also available in the school upon request.
Appropriate social distancing in the school subject to local guidelines – maximum numbers set per room, per floor and on site concurrently, as well as staggered class times, break times and opening times.
Physical distancing – Each student to keep a distance from one another in each classroom of between 1M+ & 2M+ (based on current local government advice). This distance to be maintained in all other school spaces
Recommended distances to maintain delineated in common spaces with floor markings
Students kept in ‘bubbles’, limiting contact by class and/or by floor
All rooms to be well ventilated including the use of HEPA air filtration systems as required
All students & staff to have their temperature taken if feeling unwell or displaying other symptoms. All LSI schools have the capacity to take everyone’s temperature upon arrival into the school building if advised by local government
Hand sanitiser available at the entry to classrooms, and students and staff should ensure they are regularly washing and drying their hands.
Common surfaces cleaned 2x daily

Social & Cultural Programme

All LSI schools to maintain an active social & cultural programme subject to social distancing guidelines. Activities to be limited in numbers & organised in ‘bubbles’ based on limiting social contact beyond the academic programme; activities to be arranged by class &/or by floor.

*Please note that these measures may be eased by specific LSI schools subject to the amount of virus transmission in their cities and the associated threat level

Online & Hybrid Programes

LSI is now operating online English campuses in several different timezones; the UK (GMT), the NA East Coast (ET), the NA West Coast (PST), and New Zealand (NZDT). Our online English campuses will be continuing indefinitely and will run alongside our regular face to face programmes, giving our in-school students the opportunity to study online in advance of their course abroad, and upon return to their home country. All our schools will be providing the regular number of teacher contact hours, but may provide a hybrid programme of face to face and online classes in order to maintain local social distancing guidelines. As a possible example, students may have their morning classes taught in school, but will have their afternoon electives taught online. In any case, students will have full access to the school building all day and are welcome to take any online lessons inside the school using LSI equipment.*

For more information please contact us or your local representative.

*Please note - This does not apply for students required to take their lessons online due to quarantine measures or feeling unwell

All our schools will be providing the regular number of teacher contact hours, but may provide a hybrid programme of face to face and online classes in order to maintain local social distancing guidelines.

Special Terms & Conditions

Due to the increased uncertainty surrounding international travel, we have prepared the following special Terms & Conditions.

1. New bookings received by LSI from January 1, 2021 and for courses scheduled to start in 2021/2022
For all new bookings for face to face classes that are scheduled to start in 2021 and 2022, students can receive a 100% refund on course fees if they are unable to attend the LSI school due to travel restrictions imposed by governments in response to Covid-19, either in their home country or their LSI destination.*

2a. Postponements (bookings made by March 31, 2020)
Students are welcome to postpone courses without incurring any penalty charges.** Courses must start by Dec 31, 2021.***
2b. Postponements (bookings made after March 31, 2020)
Please refer to our regular T&C.

3. Credit transfers
Unused programme weeks can be used at any LSI school worldwide.** Courses must start by Dec 31, 2021.

4. Cancellations
Cancellations for existing bookings are subject to LSI’s regular Terms & Conditions: www.lsi.edu/terms Bookings made with special promotional prices are subject to promotional Terms & Conditions.

*Please note, costs already incurred by LSI, such as courier fees or other third party fees will not be refundable.
**Accommodation and other third party fees may be subject to additional charges
***Bookings made using the Black Friday promotion must start by January 25, 2021.
All other terms & Conditions apply: www.lsi.edu/terms

Online Learning

Language Schools

Work Experience & Career Progression

Exam Preparation

Junior Courses

Teacher Homestay

Contact Us