Please see the following document outlining our remote learning provision.
St. John’s C of E Primary School, Shildon
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, in the event of a National Lockdown or if local restrictions require entire Year Groups 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?
Pupils will be sent home with workbooks and resources to support home learning. In the first instance, where possible, we will also aim for pupils to have paper copies of activities to complete.
The resources provided reflect those used by all pupils everyday in school to complete their work. The workbook contains instructions for all pupils and parents to follow for accessing remote learning.
Instructions provide access to our remote learning through TEAMS. Additional passwords for Purple Mash and ActiveLearn are also provided.
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 where specific resources used in the school would not be available in the home.
· All of the digital platforms we use are linked closely to the curriculum we teach.
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 following number of hours each day:
Primary school-aged pupils
Early Years (Nursery and Reception): Minimum 3 Hours
Key Stage 1 (Classes Y1 and Y2): Minimum 3 Hours
Key Stage 2 (Classes Y3 to Y6): Minimum 4 Hours
Accessing remote education
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?
Pupils access on-line lessons through TEAMS. This is a Microsoft application accessed through Outlook.
Pupils will also have access to a Virtual Classroom where they will also be able to link in to other websites and resources to support their home learning. These other sites include:
Purple Mash: Range of curriculum Subjects
Active Learn: Phonics
Charanga: Music
(Please note, this is not a complete list)
If my child does not have digital or online access at home, how will you support them to access remote education?
From our previous surveys we recognise that some pupils may not have suitable online access at home. We take the following approaches to support those pupils to access remote education:
· We will lend laptops or I-pads to pupils, parents or carers. This will be organised by school following contact from the class teacher. Parents will be kept up to date via telephone contact.
· Parents and carers requiring support for internet connection (for example, routers, dongles or data) are to contact school via telephone for specific guidance and support.
· Pupils can also access any printed materials needed if they do not have online access or there is a delay in setting up provision. These resources will be provided by the Teachers and can be collected from the School Office via a telephone arrangement.
· Pupils can submit work to their teachers on-line or record it in their work book or on provided paper copies.
How will my child be taught remotely?
We will use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely: we recognise that a mixed approach will be required to ensure all pupils are able to access learning appropriate for their age and ability.
· Recorded teaching: For example, this will be used to deliver the majority of Mathematics Lessons using White Rose mathematics, video/audio recordings made by teachers.
· Recorded presentations: These will be used to deliver stand-alone activities such as Collective Worship.
· Commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas, including video clips or sequences.
· On-line activities and games: These link to subject specific websites and will be used to supplement or reinforce teaching of key facts.
· Printed paper packs produced by teachers and support staff will be used to compliment or supplement daily teaching: These will also be utilised more for pupils with additional needs (SEN). (See below)
· Reading books pupils have at home.
· Television programmes: predominantly those presented by the BBC.
· Live teaching may be used where appropriate or necessary.
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?
All pupils are required to engage with remote education daily. Suggested timetables are set for each day.
· Parental support for remote learning is essential, the main focus is on setting routines for all children and enabling them to engage with the learning provided. We recognise the challenges presented by this, especially for families with multiple children across different age groups.
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
In this section, please set out briefly:
· We will check pupils’ engagement with remote education on a daily basis through their on-line responses.
· Access to all sites is also monitored by class teachers. We are able to see through administration systems exactly when and for how long pupils have been logged in to Purple Mash or Active Learn.
· School will review work through Internal blogs, classroom display boards and secure emails.
· We will undertake weekly telephone calls home to ensure additional support or issues arising can be addressed as soon as possible. This contact is a supportive process in partnership with pupils and parents however where engagement is a concern members of the Senior Leadership team will support class teachers and call parents to discuss concerns and explore ways to provide further 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:
· We will use the on-line platforms to assess and provide feed back on pupils’ work.
· Pupils will receive feedback on their work daily via comments posted on TEAMS.
· Support for marking and self-assessment will be provided by Teachers.
· Certain on-line activities will also support individual progress which is also monitored by the teacher.
· Information on the timings for reviewing and assessing work provided on paper will be subject to variations in-line with safe handling guidelines and timescales linked to individual pupils, groups or class timetable.
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:
· Support for remote education for pupils with SEND will be based on the individual needs. This work provided will be produced to support an individual with the specific learning needs identified on their support plan. This work will be overseen by the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENDCO).
· Support for younger pupils, for example those in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 will differ from that provided for KS1 and KS2 pupils.
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. This will alter the balance of activities provided by class teachers but not the content.
* Lockdown Update: January 2021
In response to the current lockdown and the priority from Government of school remaining open for vulnerable pupils and key workers means that school is currently open to pupils in every class from Nursery to Year 6, with 25% of all pupils actually in school. Teachers and Teaching Assistants are balancing the delivery of face to face teaching and home learning. This has reduced the ability to deliver ‘live lessons’ but not the overall provision reported.
If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?
We are planning to maintain the approach described above for any pupil who is self-isolating. We will work closely with each family to provide the specific support required to ensure their child receives a planned and well-sequenced curriculum with meaningful and ambitious work each day in a number of different subjects, including providing feedback.
