Remote Learning

For information and guides on using remote learning, please see our Remote Learning student page.

Guiding principles 

A number of key principles have shaped our planning for remote operation:  

• The school is open and will endeavour to operate as close to normal as possible, but remotely.   
• The special circumstances of the lockdown will be borne in mind, including the pressures on family life, screen time, access to fresh air, daylight, exercise, and so on.  
• We will take every available opportunity presented to support the learning of the most vulnerable students.  
• We will keep particular focus on evaluating the learning happening as a result of our provision.

The remote curriculum: what is taught to students at home

If students are sent home for period of remote learning, we aim as much as possible to continue covering the regular curriculum. On rare occasions we may deviate from the planned curriculum due to propriety; for example, it is not possible to deliver effective RSE remotely due to the sensitivity of the subject matter and concerns over younger siblings in the same room. 

What should my child expect from immediate remote education?

Initially, work will be set on Satchel One. This will include worksheets, links to videos, links to other online resources, and other learning activities that can be done independently. Links to Microsoft Teams groups will be sent to students by their class teachers, if they do not have this set up already.

Will my child be taught broadly the same curriculum as they would if they were in school?

• As much as is possible we will stick to the normal curriculum in Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9); assessments will also happen as scheduled.
• Years 10, 11, 12 and 13 should continue to study the content of their GCSE, A Level and BTEC subjects. 

Accessing remote education

How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?

• Initially directions regarding work will be set on Satchel One. Once classes are all established on Microsoft Teams, remote education will move fully to this platform and Satchel One will not be updated.
• Teachers may also direct your child to use certain other sources during lessons or when setting work which will have been carefully considered for suitability and quality, such as the BBC, Heggerty Maths, Kaboodle, and others.

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 students may not have suitable online access at home. We take the following approaches to support those students to access remote education:

• Please contact the school if you need support with getting access to the internet or devices. The school has been in contact with many families and will continue to work closely with families to ensure they are able to access remote provision.
• Some students have been sent or collected work packs where they are waiting for internet access or a device.
• Some students have been asked to come into school to access remote learning.

How will my child be taught remotely?

We use a combination of the following approaches to teach students remotely:

Online learning will take two main forms:   

• Live Lessons: teachers present live, ask questions, model answers, share PowerPoint, etc. 
• Question and answer/supporting work set: teacher is on Teams to answer questions in the ‘chat’ feature about work set in the form of worksheets, tasks etc.  

The expectation is that 50% of lessons are ‘live’ for each class. All other lessons should be in the Q&A/supporting work set format. Teaching staff will be online for all their timetabled lessons, with the exception of when they are in school delivering key worker provision.  

We will also provide some remote learning in the form of:

• Printed paper packs produced by teachers (e.g. workbooks, worksheets)
• Textbooks and reading books pupils have at home
• Commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas, including video clips or sequences
• Long-term project work and/or internet research activities

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?

• Students should aim to attend all lessons for their full length and complete all the work set. However, we realise that different households have different access to devices and also have to share space, and bandwidth, in their homes. We want to provide the very best remote education, but we will also be understanding in working with families where access to this proves difficult. Please keep in touch with tutors and class teachers regarding the level of work being set and the manageability of our provision.  
• Parents can support learning by providing routines surrounding schoolwork, especially sticking to the school timetable, and by encouraging their child/children to take their breaks away from screens and schoolwork.

How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?

• Staff will take registers for every lesson; they will also be recording if students complete the work for the lesson or merely access the resources.
• We have a team of three senior staff responsible for monitoring the attendance and engagement of different groups of students. Form tutors will be the first point of contact where attendance and engagement is a concern, moving to Progress Leaders if a concern persists.

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 students’ work is as follows:

• Students will receive verbal feedback and written feedback (via the chat function) on Teams.
• Teachers will assess knowledge, skills and understanding through the assignment submission feature on Microsoft Teams and through other online tools, such as Microsoft Forms (quizzes and tests).
• Written feedback will be provided through the assignments feature on Microsoft Teams.
• Assessment points will happen as normal.
• Parents’ Evenings will go ahead in the virtual form they have taken this academic year.

Additional support for students 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 students, for example some students 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 students in the following ways:

• The SEND department has made contact with the families of students with SEND, and will continue to liaise, working together to plan provision.
• Some students will be invited to do all or some of their learning on the school premises via consultation with families.
• LSAs will work with students remotely to support their learning and to support teachers with differentiation.
• The SEND department will provide additional resources for students where required.