Coronavirus updates

This is our dedicated Coronavirus updates page where we will post the latest student information related to COVID-19 and how we can support your studies during this time. 

25 February 2022, 11.00am GMT
An update on COVID-19 restrictions

Following the announcement around the ending of COVID-19 restrictions in England, we want to provide an update around our continued steps to keep you safe and manage any concerns regarding the coronavirus.

The safety of our staff and students is our number one priority and as we adjust to living with COVID-19 we will continue to operate with some measures in place.

Please see the steps we have in place to keep you safe while at WSET School London:

  • Class sizes will remain below pre-COVID levels. We are still maintaining an element of social distancing across all qualification classes and tasting events. This means students have additional personal space to feel safe while in the school.
  • We ask that all staff, students and visitors wear face coverings (unless you are exempt) in all areas of the school, except while sitting in class.
  • Our classrooms are well ventilated. They have fresh air systems installed to ensure a flow of air around the room is suitable for the volume of people in the room. We will endeavour to have windows open for additional ventilation where practically possible.
  • We will continue our increased cleaning rota.
  • Personal screens will remain in reception and hand sanitisation stations will remain throughout the school for our students.
  • We will continue to provide glasses and pre-pour your wines.
  • We continue to ask you to not attend the school if you test positive for COVID-19 or are showing any of the COVID-19 symptoms.
  • If you do test positive after attending the school. Please email studentservicesteam@wsetglobal.com to inform the school so we can take appropriate action. You will not be disadvantaged financially if you cannot attend for a Coronavirus-related reason.

Everyone’s safety remains our top priority so we would ask you to continue to support us by observing any measures in place.

View our COVID-19 operating plan.

18 January 2022, 10.00am GMT
A message for students attending Diploma classes/exams

We would like to take this opportunity to remind you of our Covid safety precautions which have been put in place for when you are attending classes or exams at the WSET School London or at one of our external venues.

  • Please do NOT attend a class or an exam if you test positive for COVID-19, have been requested to self-isolate, or are displaying any of the COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Where possible, please take a lateral flow test before attending any classes or exams with us.
  • All staff and students are requested to wear a face covering (unless you are exempt) when registering/checking in for any courses/exams and whilst moving about the School or any of our external venues. This can be removed whilst you are sitting in a classroom.
  • If you test positive after attending the School or one of our exam venues, please email studentservicesteam@wsetglobal.com to inform us, so that we can take appropriate action. You will not be disadvantaged financially if you cannot attend for a Coronavirus-related reason.
  • We welcome international students who are coming to study or sit exams with us at WSET School London and any of our external venues but would ask that you make yourself aware of and comply with the UK COVID-19 travel guidelines. www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19
  • Your safety remains our top priority. Please continue to support us by observing these measures.

09 December 2021, 3.00pm GMT
In light of yesterday's 'Plan B' announcements

Following the announcement around England moving to 'Plan B' restrictions, we want to provide an update around our steps to keep you safe and manage the concerns around the Omicron variant of Coronavirus. Please see full information around 'Plan B' here.

As an education provider, WSET School London will remain open and operating as planned. All courses, tasting tutorials, examinations and events will be going ahead as scheduled.

While at WSET School London, please see the steps we have in place to keep you safe:

  • Class sizes will remain below pre-Covid levels. We are still maintaining an element of social distancing across all qualification classes and tasting events. This means students have additional personal space to feel safe while in the school.
  • We ask that all staff, students and visitors wear face coverings (unless you are exempt) in all areas of the school, except while sitting in class.
  • Our classrooms are well ventilated. They have fresh air systems installed to ensure a flow of air around the room is suitable for the volume of people in the room. We will endeavour to have windows open for additional ventilation where practically possible.
  • We will continue our increased cleaning rota.
  • Personal screens will remain in reception and hand sanitisation stations will remain throughout the school for our students.
  • We will continue to provide glasses and pre-pour your wines.
  • We continue to ask you to not attend the school if you test positive for COVID-19, need to self-isolate or are showing any of the COVID-19 symptoms.
  • If you do test positive after attending the school. Please email studentservicesteam@wsetglobal.com to inform the school so we can take appropriate action. You will not be disadvantaged financially if you cannot attend for a Coronavirus-related reason.

International students

We welcome international students who are coming to study with us at WSET School London but ask you remain aware and applied with UK Covid travel guidelines.

Everyone’s safety remains our top priority so we would ask you to continue to support us by observing any measures in place.

View our Covid-19 operating plan

16 July 2021, 2.00pm BST
Entering the final stage of the roadmap out of lockdown

Following the government’s announcement of the final stage of the roadmap out of lockdown, we are pleased that we are all able to take the next step back to normality.

We have reviewed our COVID-19 practices and will be implementing a phased return to normal at WSET School London.

When you attend WSET School London after 19 July the following will apply;

  • Class sizes will not be returning to pre covid levels until we feel it is safe to do so. We expect to be able to increase capacity on some courses while ensuring students still have space and feel comfortable.
  • We will continue our increased cleaning rota
  • Personal screens will remain in reception and hand sanitisation stations will remain throughout the school for our students
  • We will continue to provide glasses and pre pour your wines
  • Staff will continue to wear face coverings while moving around the building and we encourage students to do so as well for everyone’s safety.
  • We continue to ask you to not attend the school if you test positive for COVID-19, need to self-isolate or are showing any of the COVID-19 symptoms.
  • If you do test positive after attending the school. Please email studentservicesteam@wsetglobal.com to inform the school so we can take appropriate action.

Everyone’s safety remains our top priority so we would ask you to continue to support us by observing any measures that remain in place.

02 March 2021, 3.00pm GMT
Getting ready for a phased reopening

We are excited to announce that WSET School London will be making a phased return to in-person courses from April 2021.

We will be contacting all students booked onto existing and upcoming courses and exams to confirm these arrangements over the next couple of weeks.

Student safety is our priority, and we are continually adapting our classrooms and schedule to create a safe learning environment which meets government guidelines. We have put many measures in place to ensure that every student has a safe and enjoyable experience. You can read our reopening plan in full here.

If you are still waiting to transfer to a new course, then please view the booking pages of our website. All courses that are up on our website are planned to go ahead as scheduled.

If you've been waiting to sign up, we have WSET courses at all levels across wines, spirits and sake available to book now, with weekday, evening, Saturday and online study options to choose from. Please note that we're running at a reduced capacity to allow for social distancing, so our classroom courses are getting booked up faster than usual.

Our events programme will be staying online for now, though we hope to get some in-person tastings up and running later in the year. In the meantime we will be continuing our webinar series. Click here to see what's coming up.

We look forward to welcoming you to WSET School London soon!

All the best,

Richard and the team at WSET School London

05 January 2021, 12.00pm GMT
A message from WSET School London’s Principal, Richard Harding

As per last night’s announcement regarding further restrictions in England, I can confirm that WSET School London will be closing its building with immediate effect and will remain closed until we are permitted to reopen.

This will of course cause disruption to in-person courses and exams, but we are working hard to provide alternative arrangements and solutions for all affected and will be in contact with students as soon as possible to discuss options.

Online courses will continue as before - students will still have access to the same materials, activities and support as they would at any other time. If you’ve had your eye on an online WSET course, a new year and a new lockdown could be just the time to do it. We have online courses at all levels starting soon.

Although rearranging courses and exams is not straight forward, we have been here once before and we believe that we can find a solution for everyone. If your course or exam has been affected, please bear with us as we work to get you back on the path to learning.

When we are able to reopen, our educators look forward to providing the same world-class standard of wine, spirits and sake education as ever, in a safe and fun environment. In the meantime, they will be working on some new webinar content to keep you learning from home. Why not spend a little time catching up on some of the webinars the team produced for you in 2020?

Look after yourselves.

All the best,

Richard and the team at WSET School London

22 December 2020
Response to Tier 4

In response to the latest government announcement, moving London into Tier 4, we can confirm that we will continue to deliver all courses and exams in London as scheduled. Should this situation change, all those affected will be contacted directly by WSET School London. Those on courses outside of London will be contacted with further updates.

All Diploma exams, in London and our other locations remain unaffected and will continue as planned.

The School will be closed for Christmas from 22nd December, reopening on 4th January 2021. If you need to contact us over this period, please email the following address related to your inquiry :

wsetschooldiploma@wsetglobal.com (relating to Diploma course enquires)

wsetschoolexams@wsetglobal.com (relating to examinations)

studentservicesteam@wsetglobal.com (relating to course bookings)

All emails will be picked up and responded to week commencing 4th January 2021.

From all of the team at WSET School London , we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

03 November 2020, 9.00am GMT
A message from WSET School London’s Principal, Richard Harding

I hope you are safe and well. I would like to update you on WSET School London’s position regarding the UK government’s announcement on Saturday 31 October.

Our understanding at this stage is that education is exempt from the lockdown and teaching, training and assessment can continue as normal. We have thought carefully about what we as an education provider should do. In making this decision we have had to think about all of our students and what is best for them at this time. We are particularly aware that many of our students who work within the drinks and hospitality sectors are already going through a huge amount of uncertainty and disruption. We feel that removing the option to continue/complete their WSET training and take their exams would be unfair to those who need access to the qualifications we offer.

I can therefore confirm it is our intention to remain open unless the government issues further guidelines to mandate the closure of adult education facilities. We will continue to deliver in-person courses, tasting tutorials and exams over this period to ensure that you are able to access your course in a timely manner and continue your education, should you feel comfortable in doing so.

We are confident in the extensive safety measures and procedures that we have put in place to deliver our qualifications safely. We will continue to review these measures to ensure we are delivering in the safest way possible. Full information on our COVID-19 operating plan can be found here.

For those who have courses, tutorials or exams booked during lockdown and no longer feel comfortable attending, we completely understand will be offering a very flexible cancellation policy. All we ask is that you let us know if you will be unable to attend your course, exam or tasting tutorial. To do this, please email studentservicesteam@wsetglobal.com who will work with you to make alternative arrangements. Please note that if you do not contact us to let us know that you will not be attending, we will not be able to issue a refund or offer a free transfer.

Thank you for your patience, understanding and support at this time.

23 September 2020, 12.30pm
Face coverings to be worn at WSET School London

In response to the UK government’s change of guidelines on 23 September 2020 we are now asking students to wear a face covering at all times within the WSET School London building, apart from when sitting at their desk. This means that all staff and students will need to wear masks in reception, stairwells, corridors, and all other communal parts of the building. We are aware that some people are not able to wear face masks so please identify yourself upon arrival at reception.

The full break down of our COVID-19 operating plan can be found here.

1 July 2020, 1.30pm
Our classrooms are ready for you

We are excited to let you know that WSET School London will be reopening for classroom courses from Monday 6 July. Student safety is our priority and our team has been busy adapting our classrooms and course schedule to create a safe learning environment which meets government guidelines. We have put many measures in place to ensure that every student has a safe and enjoyable experience. You can read our reopening plan in full here.

We're currently contacting all students whose courses have been put on hold to let them know our plans to get them back into the classroom - these students will be our first priority and we are grateful for their patience during this disruption.

If you've been waiting to sign up for a classroom course, we have WSET courses at all levels across wines, spirits and sake available to book now, with weekday, evening, Saturday and online study options to choose from. Please note that we're running at a reduced capacity to allow for social distancing, so our classroom courses are getting booked up faster than usual.

Our events programme will be staying online for now, though we hope to get some in-person tastings up and running later in the year. In the meantime we will be continuing our webinar series. Click here to see what's coming up.

15 June 2020, 2.00pm
Our COVID-19 reopening plan

Since our last update, the team have been working hard to put together a thorough and transparent plan for how we will begin welcoming students back to WSET School London. Today we are happy to reveal this plan, which includes a list of the procedures and practices we'll be putting in place, as well as a room-by-room overview so you can know what to expect at every stage throughout your course or exam.

We hope to reassure you that we're putting the health and safety of our students and staff above all else, and that we're determined to make wine, spirits and sake education as enjoyable as ever in a socially distanced world! 

Click here to read our reopening plan.

13 May 2020, 2.00pm
WSET Level 1 Award in Sake now available to study online!

We're delighted to let you know that the WSET Level 1 Award in Sake qualification is now available for you to study online for the first time ever! This four-week course is a brilliant way to get to grips with the basics of sake tasting, production and styles. 

Click here to learn more and to find upcoming course dates.

11 May 2020, 4.00pm
An update on our online learning offering from WSET School London’s Principal, Richard Harding

I hope you are safe and well. I wanted to give you an update on some of the developments we have been making to make online learning even more accessible and enjoyable for you!

Included in this update:

  • Enhancements to our online courses
  • Online examinations for Level 1 and 2 courses
  • E-tasting wine sample packs (an interesting new option for sourcing wine samples)

Enhancements to our online courses

We have been proud to offer online learning for over 10 years, and we have long viewed this option as vital for making wine, spirits and sake education accessible to as many people as possible.

However, until just two months ago, most of our educators' time was spent in the classroom delivering courses face-to-face. It was with regret that we closed WSET School London for classroom courses on 17 March, with the current reopening date set as 1 June at the earliest (this date is currently under review).

While we still very much look forward to the day when it is safe to get back into the classroom, out of change comes creativity! 

Today we would like to tell you about some further enhancements we are making to our online study options during the School’s closure. In addition to WSET’s excellent Online Classroom e-learning platform, we will be providing extra webinar content to support you throughout your studies.

  • Extra theory webinars and guidance on tasting hosted by our expert educators
  • More Q&A opportunities with our educators
  • Guidance on how to prepare for your examination and what to expect

Even though we may not get to meet you in person (yet!) you can rest assured that we'll be supporting you every step of the way from your first day of online learning through to your examination.

Please note: this extra content is exclusively available to those who study their WSET qualification online with WSET School London.

Online examinations for Level 1 and 2 courses

We are very excited to announce that, for the first time, we will be offering online examinations for our Level 1 and 2 online courses through a carefully selected 'remote invigilation' service. 

This option makes these wonderful courses so much more accessible. It means that anyone with an interest in learning more about wines or spirits can do so wherever they are in the world, without having to wait or travel to complete the exam in person.

It also means that those who should have sat examinations in class in recent months but have been prevented from doing so due to our School closure can complete their qualification online. These students will be contacted about arranging their examination very soon.

Our huge thanks to the WSET team for making this a reality!

So, which courses are now available online?

Currently the following courses can be studied online. As above, our Level 1 and 2 courses now offer an online examination, while Level 3 and 4 qualifications still involve some in-person elements.

E-tasting wine sample packs

Our final piece of news for today relates to sourcing samples for online learning. If you've been thinking about signing up to an online wine course, but aren't sure where to get the necessary tasting samples or how to keep the costs down, WSET has begun working with a company who might be able to help you. 

E-tasting offers sample packs for the Level 1, 2 and 3 Award in Wines qualifications. These samples have been selected with guidance from WSET so that they cover the recommended samples for each qualification (with the exception of sparkling wines). 

The samples provided are 20ml rather than the usual 50ml that we recommend in class, but this sample size should be enough for you to make a tasting note on each of the wines. Currently, E-Tasting are only able to ship within Europe.

Please click here for further information including how to order. 

Please note: the wine samples provided by E-tasting have not been selected by WSET School London, and it is not a requirement for enrolling on any of our courses that you purchase these samples. If you prefer to source your own samples locally, the Online Classroom team will give you guidance on what samples to buy.

I have another question, who do I contact?

We’re here to help - you can contact us at any time if you have a question. Please note that at present our team are working very hard to respond to all queries in a timely manner but due to the high volume there may be a little delay in getting back to you. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding at this time.

20 April 2020, 5.00pm GMT
A message from WSET School London’s Principal, Richard Harding

I hope you are well and safe at this difficult time. I wanted to give you an update on our position regarding COVID-19.

Last month we had to make some difficult decisions - it was with regret that we closed WSET School London for classroom courses on 17 March. Initially we hoped to reopen on 4 May 2020, however we have now made the decision to stay closed until 1 June, due to the current restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the virus. All classroom courses, tastings, events and exams scheduled until this time will be rescheduled/postponed.

In addition, we have cancelled the Diploma examinations that were due to take place in May and June 2020. All affected students have now been contacted.

Since we closed, our team have been working tirelessly to bring students into our ‘Online Classroom’ community, creating a brand new blended learning option for any students who have been affected by our closure, packed with daily webinars, Q&As and extra mock exam questions. Our growing online community has brought us a lot of joy during this difficult time and we are thrilled to see it growing, with more and more people signing up to study online.