When learning needs to be done at home…
When children are required to be at home, and unable to attend school – the learning does not stop at Handale Primary School. Since October 2020, schools have been required by law to provide effective education to those children who are unable to access face to face teaching; Handale Primary School has risen to the challenge!
This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to families about what to expect from us in relation to remote education – if restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home, or if individual children are self-isolating (see last section).
The information is organised by the key questions that families may have regarding our online learning offer.
If a sudden closure is needed, what will the first one or two days look like for us as a family?
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. As such, in the first day or two of a longer period of closure we will:
- Expect children to read their current reading books, practise their ‘sound book’ and complete any outstanding homework which is currently allocated.
- Log in to the school website year group page and complete any currently allocated tasks.
How does the substantive remote curriculum align with the ‘normal’ school curriculum?
- the remote curriculum which the children will follow closely mirrors the learning that would have taken place in the classroom. For example, children will still progress through our phonics and maths scheme at the same pace as if they were in school.
- The remote curriculum will also encompass the vast majority of subjects that the children experience in school. Whilst some learning experiences that would have taken place in school are simply not possible via remote learning (e.g. the more practical aspects of the Design Technology, Science, PE and Computing curricula), teachers will either move this learning to a period when children return to school, or source alternative theoretical learning to mirror the learning intention (e.g. a video of a science experiment, or online simulation).
- Whilst PE cannot be taught remotely, we do expect that children take part in physical exercise and challenges as directed through our remote learning tasks.
How are days of remote learning structured? How will you teach my child and what will a day look like?
Each day, we aim to ensure that our children take part in approximately 3 hours of teaching and study time. This is achieved by…
- Task 1: A class story – pre-recorded or live by a staff member and containing a welcome and introduction to the day
- Task 2: A phonics lesson – with pre-recorded teaching and accompanying tasks.
- Task 3: Reading and Reinforcement for both KS1 and KS2: Children access the Year group web page to read their allocated reading book and practise decoding and spelling skills via the online tasks
- Task 4: An english lesson – linked to sentence structure and composition with live zoom sessions to support children finding the learning difficult
- Task 5: A mathematics lesson – with pre-recorded teaching and accompanying tasks followed by a live zoom session to support children finding the learning difficult
- Task 6: Another curriculum subject lesson – children will complete a variety of subject learning tasks across the weeks, reflecting the range of subjects taught in school again teachers will be available for a zoom session on the afternoons linked to the foundation subjects
- An Open Zoom session – where children and families can touch base with the class teacher and fellow classmates, to discuss their learning and gain additional help, if required
In addition to this, some children and families may also receive a phone call or ‘zoom’, as part of the rolling programme of individual ‘check ins’ or to support learning following a review of work from the class teacher.
Exercise books and workbooks are sent home to support the taught sessions and to facilitate appropriate recording. Photographs of this work can be emailed back to staff for feedback.
Which tools and platforms do you use in order to deliver the remote learning?
- School website is the primary hosting platform – where all tasks are ‘housed’ and children can respond to tasks set.
- Some subscription websites, such as Lexia, Timestable Rockstar and Spelling Shed
- Zoom – families will follow the allocated daily link to access an open Zoom meeting.
- Learning videos are uploaded to the school YouTube channel – but only accessible via unlisted link.
- We do not expect families to have access to any specific software or printing facilities – as all requirements are housed within our platforms.
What if we don’t have the ‘kit’ needed for online learning?
We recognise that for some families, remote education is daunting and may not have the equipment that is required. In order to help, we can:
- Provide a limited number of electronic notebooks to families for free, through a home-school loan agreement.
- Source 4G mobile internet for families who do not have internet in the family home.
- Provide a place in school, where vulnerable children and critical workers are able to attend. Not being able to access any home learning can make a child ‘vulnerable’.
These discussions will be had with families as soon as closure is announced – if not before. During the first day of school closures, all families at home will be contacted to ensure that they are prepared and able to support the remote education plans at home.
How much do you expect children to engage in the learning and what will happen if you are concerned about levels of engagement? How will you support us as a family?
- We expect all children at home to engage in the teaching and study activities set each day.
- If a child does not access home learning for more than one day, a call home is made to see how school can remove any potential barriers so that remote learning can resume. This may include staff providing additional tutorials online to show families how to access specific learning tasks, or staff supporting families to plan effective remote learning routines. If these cannot be embedded or prove unsuccessful, a place may be offered in school, where vulnerable children and critical workers are able to attend. Not accessing any home learning can make a child ‘vulnerable’.
- We have deliberately ensured that the teaching is pre-recorded to support families who have several children at home (who may share a device), or where adults may be home-working – so that the tasks can be completed as flexibly as possible.
- The daily ‘open Zoom’ is designed as an opportunity to support children and families each day. Staff also have time built in to the day to phone parents and respond to emails from families who have queries or concerns.
How will my child receive feedback on their learning?
- Teachers will provide feedback through email or verbally through the zoom sessions to all individual pieces of work. Teachers have allocated time to provide this feedback each day.
- The rolling programme of phone calls give an opportunity for staff to praise and feedback in more depth, where required.
What will happen if my child has additional needs and requires additional support?
- Each day, staff review engagement and achievement of all children in their class. If a child appears to require additional support,1:1 phone calls or a ‘Zoom’ meeting will be arranged.
- Tasks can be differentiated at individual level via the home learning page or directly emailed to the pupil
- Children who have an EHCP or support plan, who are not in school, will be afforded additional contact via the staff who typically support them in school. This will be additional to the general individual ‘check ins’ that are planned each week.
- Children with visual problems will be posted reading scheme books, so they spend less time on screen than other children.
What will remote learning look like if my child is self-isolating, but the majority of the class are in school?
- Daily learning tasks will be allocated via the school home learning page. These will match, or closely match, those that the children in school are completing. Engagement will be monitored and feedback and support provided in line with the above protocols.
- Children will have reading books and phonics activities allocated.
- If appropriate, some isolating children may join a lesson via Zoom.
This information has been formulated in line with DFE guidance, found here.
Phonics Websites
Phonics Tracker Games – free games to support our phonics programme
Phonics Play Games – currently free activities to support our phonics programme
Phonics Bloom – some free games to support our phonics programme (some are subscription only)
Literacy learning
Audible – free online reading books and audio books for children
Authorfy – access to masterclasses on texts from a range of authors, including videos from the authors and activities linked to novels.
Book Trust – a site with recommended booklists, categorised by age range and topic, including fiction and non-fiction. Family activities are included in the ‘Home Time’ section.
Literacy Shed – downloadable resource packs with tasks based on video clips on YouTube.
Numeracy Learning
Hit the button – quick fire mental maths
MathsZone – a huge selection of online maths games
Maths Mastery– downloadable guidance and resource packs for parents and pupils
Number Blocks – videos for numeracy development designed for children aged 0 to 6. There are fun activities that can be applied to everyday life and play.
Top Marks – a range of interactive maths games categorised by age group.
Interactive Visits
Mental Wellbeing
Anna Freud – wellbeing advice for all those supporting children and young people.
BPS – advice on dealing with school closures and talking to children about COVID-19.
The child bereavement network – advice on supporting grieving children during the coronavirus outbreak.
Physical Education
Boogie Beebies – videos that get younger children up and dancing with CBeebies presenters.
Disney 10 minute shakeups – 10-minute videos based on Disney films that count towards a child’s 60 active minutes per day.
Joe Wicks (The Body Coach) – YouTube channel for live and recorded children’s daily workouts
Other Resources – trying to replicate a school experience
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize – you can select the year group your child is in and there is a Maths, English and one other lesson per day
The Oak National Academy- this too tries to recreate a classroom situation and gives access to online lessons and videos.
Keeping your children safe online
This link is for parents and takes you to a wealth of resources linked to different aspects of keeping your child safe with online learning. THESE ARE NOT LINKS FOR CHILDREN.
Parent link to online safety resources
Vodafone Digital Parenting Site
What do current parents think of our Remote Education Offer?
We surveyed our parents in February 2021 to review our offer – please download the full review of feedback, here.
Below is a ‘word cloud’ of the ‘describe our offer and relationship during this time in three words‘ question. The larger the word… the more times it was shared with us. We are delighted with our families’ responses.
