Remote education provision: information for parents
This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education where national or local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home.
For details of what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating, please see the final section of this page.
The remote curriculum: what is taught to pupils at home?
A pupil’s first day or two of being educated remotely might look different from our standard approach, while we take all necessary actions to prepare for a longer period of remote teaching.
What should my child expect from immediate remote education in the first day or two of pupils being sent home?
The children will receive a message through Class Dojo which will inform their Parents what learning their child can access through Google Classrooms. This will involve a range of learning opportunities through White Rose, Oak Academy, Letters and sounds at home and our prepared Pick ‘n’ Mix activities which cover the wider curriculum.
Following the first few days of remote education, will my child be taught broadly the same curriculum as they would if they were in school?
We teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate. However, we have needed to make some adaptations in some subjects. For example, some practical science activities, PE and Art/Dt will need adapting as parents may not have the appropriate resources at home, instead alternative areas of study that will be of benefit to the children will be set.
Remote teaching and study time each day
How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?
We expect that remote education (including remote teaching and independent work) will take pupils broadly the same amount of time as if they were in school. The amount of work type is dependent on the age of the children for example children in Acorn (reception) will have more activity based tasks while the children in Oak (year 6) will have more written independent work. We do place a strong emphasis that no child should continue with their learning if it is taking them too long, causing them distress or affecting their wellbeing. In this case, we encourage parents to contact their child’s class teacher who will discuss how remote learning can be adapted.
Accessing remote education
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?
The main platform for online learning will be Google Classrooms. Children will be able to log in with their unique login which will enable them to access, complete and upload learning. Teachers will use Zoom to hold daily class meetings. Class Dojo will be used as a messaging service for Parents to communicate directly with their child’s Class Teacher. Children can communicate with their Teachers about their learning through Google Classroom.
If my child does not have digital or online access at home, how will you support them to access remote education?
We recognise that some pupils may not have suitable online access at home. We take the following approaches to support these pupils to access remote education:
- Parents can contact the school if they are unable to access a suitable device or struggle with online access for home learning. As a school we will do our best to loan a device which can be used at home and provide help if we can with online access
- We will provide books to record learning and can print appropriate resources as an alternative to printing if needed
- The teachers will provide support through Class Dojo, a telephone call or a face to face zoom meeting if Parents need help accessing the remote learning
- We will upload a Parent friendly user guide on Class Dojo to share how to access Google Classrooms
How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of the following approaches to ensure our pupils continue to receive a rich and broad curriculum remotely:
The teaching approaches we will use include:
- A weekly timetable uploaded on a Sunday evening to Google Classrooms, this is an opportunity to enable parents to have an overview of the week ahead
- A twice daily zoom meeting, the first at the start of the day to explain the learning/expectations for the day and the second in the afternoon to share the days learning and to finish the day with a story/song or game
- Learning uploaded to Google Classrooms the evening before it is scheduled to take place
- Learning will be a mixture of recorded teaching from Oak National Academy lessons, White Rose Maths Hub, letters and sounds as well as pre-recorded video/audio recordings made by the teachers
- Each child will receive a set of books to record their learning. These can be used to record all their learning or to stick in completed printed sheets. These books are to be used to support your child to complete their learning
- Reading books will be available both as E-books, which Parents will be sent the log in details for, or through a weekly exchange system at the school front door.
- A longer-term challenge, linked to their current theme, which the children can access should they wish.
- If a child is struggling with an aspect of their learning, then for the younger children Parents can contact their class teacher through Class Dojo or the older children will have the opportunity to meet their class teacher either before or after the scheduled class Zoom meetings.
Engagement and feedback
What are your expectations for my child’s engagement and the support that we as parents and carers should provide at home?
We know home educating is difficult for parents, particularly when you are also trying to work from home. If parents are finding it difficult to engage in the full curriculum, we will always be happy to provide support and discussion as to which areas of the curriculum to prioritise. We would encourage you to:
- Set up a routine using the weekly timetable. To support this, involve your child with discussions about an appropriate timetable of working which includes active breaks and times to relax. Working at home is quite intense so do not try to replicate a complete school day.
- Prioritise well-being: everyone works better when they are happy and relaxed so make sure you and your child have time together on some fun activities.
- If your child is finding a task difficult, take a break and come back to it later or contact their teacher for advice and support.
- You don’t always need to sit with your child while they work. Ensure they understand the task and then expect them to work independently, asking for help when they need it, just as they would in school.
- Follow your child’s interests: if your child has a passion for something this may well be a good opportunity for them to develop it further. The teachers will be happy to see other things that your child has spent their time doing.
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
On a daily basis, the children will receive comments about the work they have uploaded on Google Classrooms. We monitor the learning we receive daily, and the Teacher will ring you if they are concerned about the lack or quality of the learning.
Teachers will monitor attendance at the morning daily zoom and a register is kept. If a child hasn’t been seen all week on Zoom, the teacher will ring home to see if they can offer any help and support.
How will you assess my child’s work and progress?
Feedback can take many forms and may not always mean extensive written comments for individual children. For example, whole-class feedback or quizzes marked automatically via digital platforms are also valid and effective methods, amongst many others. Our approach to feeding back on pupil work is as follows:
- Written comments on work that has been uploaded to Google Classrooms. Sometimes this work will be returned for editing before a child can finally submit it.
- The afternoon Zoom session is an opportunity for verbal feedback to take place as children share the learning.
- Teachers also offer the children the opportunity to meet with them before or after the scheduled Zoom if they are finding a piece of learning particularly tricky
Additional support for pupils with particular needs
How will you work with me to help my child who needs additional support from adults at home to access remote education?
We recognise that some pupils, for example, some pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may not be able to access remote education without support from adults at home. We acknowledge the difficulties this may place on families, and we will work with parents and carers to support those pupils in the following ways:
- We strongly encourage our children with an EHCP to be in school for part or all of the week
- Children with additional needs receive individualised learning packs which are reviewed and updated on a weekly basis
- Children have the opportunity for an individual Zoom if this will help the child and their parent access their learning
- Children have the opportunity to read on a one to one basis with a teaching assistant across Zoom
- Our experienced SENCO is always available to offer support and advice either by Zoom, Class Dojo or over the phone
Remote education for self-isolating pupils
Where individual pupils need to self-isolate, but the majority of their peer group remains in school, how remote education is provided will likely differ from the approach for whole groups. This is due to the challenges of teaching pupils both at home and in school.
If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?
If a child is well and having to self-isolate as a result of COVID but their class bubble remains open, the class teacher will support home learning during this time by uploading learning through Google Classrooms, if appropriate, which ensures your Child’s learning reflects that of their peers in school. If this isn’t appropriate then they will send home a range of learning opportunities including White Rose, Oak Academy, Letters and sounds at home and our prepared Pick ‘n’ Mix activities which covers the wider curriculum.
