Remote Learning

Remote education provision: information for parents/carers 

This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education if local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home or if children are asked to self-isolate. Additional information can be also found in our Remote Education Policy below.

Remote education for self-isolating pupils

Where individual pupils need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in school, remote education will differ from the approach for whole groups. This is due to the challenges of teaching pupils both at home and in school. For details of what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating, changes to our policy are clearly identified below.

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?

Children will receive work from the next working day if pupils have been sent home.

If pupils have access to a computer, Google Classroom work will be shared on the next working day. If pupils do not have access to a computer parents and carers should contact the school office and a paper pack will be provided as quickly as possible.

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?

If a whole bubble is self-isolating or absent from 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, within PE, performing arts, music or other subjects that may require specialist equipment.

If one child or a small group is self-isolating, we teach a different curriculum remotely to that which we teach in school. For example, the children will be reviewing and learning new skills and knowledge but through different resources, such as those created by Oak Academy.

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:

EYFS - Up to 3 hours a day
Key Stage 1 (Y1-2)  -  3 hours a day

Accessing remote education

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

All of our online remote education is accessed through Google Classroom.

The children have had experience of using this in school but the instructions on how to login are below. There is also a video and step-by-step guidance explaining this available by clicking the following link:

http://bit.ly/GEClassroom 

Google Classroom Directions for Parents

1. Using your internet browser (Google Chrome will work best for this), go to classroom.google.com . You may be directed to log into an account instead of reaching the classroom screen. If you reach the screen, skip to STEP 3.

2. You must be logged in to your child’s @robinsfieldinfant.co.uk account in order to access any Google classroom. Click “Sign In” in the top right hand corner if you are currently not signed into any google account. If you are on another Gmail account, you will need to sign out of it and log in with your child’s @robinsfieldinfant.co.uk account. Their username and password have been sent out. Please ask the school office, if you require this again. 

3. The classrooms that you have now joined will now be on screen. The next time you use classroom.google.com ; this will be the “home screen”.

You can log on to your account via your internet browser or by downloading the free Google Classroom App on the App Store.

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 those pupils to access remote education:

Parents/carers were asked at the beginning of the year to share whether they had a suitable device for pupils to work on and an internet connection at home. The school will lend laptops and routers, that enable an internet connection, to these families when they are required if the devices are available. The federation has a limited supply of laptops and will distribute these accordingly.

Children requiring printed resources will be shared by the school in a timely fashion. The school will contact parents/carers to collect these work packs. Where this is not possible, the school will post these out to families.

How will my child be taught remotely?

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

• Use a high quality text to deliver key learning across the curriculum. This will be a new text and will be at the heart of planned activities. This information will be shared using our online platform, Google Classroom.
• Share daily maths, English and reading/phonics learning. Alongside a full complement of lessons in the wider curriculum.
• Include, where possible, objectives from the planned curriculum sequence that has been started in school prior to being unable to attend.
• Produce activities that allow children to respond to learning in different ways writing, drawing, recording videos etc.
• Produce PowerPoint presentations, use videos and other resources to help teach new concepts, address misconceptions or recap/build on previous learning. Lessons will not be live streamed.
• Print resources for pupils who do not have suitable online access and each class teacher will be responsible for this.
• Create resource packs for children in EYFS to embellish the work that is set on Google Classroom. This will ensure children are able to practise key skills without becoming over reliant on parent/carer support.
• Monitor all adaptations for children who have SEND and feedback to teachers, sharing strategies to promote good progress. The SENDCo will lead on this.
• Encourage pupils to read books they have available to them at home, online or if possible, at local libraries.

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?

Staff can expect pupils learning remotely to:

• Complete work to the deadline set by teachers.
• Seek help if they need it, from teachers.
• Alert teachers if they are not able to complete work.

Staff can expect parents with children learning remotely to:

• Make the school aware if their child is sick or otherwise cannot complete work.
• Seek help from the school if they need it.
• Be respectful when making any complaints or concerns known to staff.
   

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

We will monitor daily engagements and keep in touch with pupils who aren’t in school and their parents if there is a concern around the level of engagement of a pupil/s. Parents should be contacted via telephone to assess whether school intervention can assist engagement. Class teachers will track this regularly and Senior Leaders will follow up where improvements are not seen.

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:

For individuals self-isolating, teachers will:

• Use questions and other suitable comments to give feedback regularly.
• Give pupils additional explanations, as and when required, adjusting the resources and activities based on assessment.

For a whole class/bubble:

• Reading, writing and maths work, all completed work submitted by 1pm to be guaranteed teacher response and comments by 5pm.
• All curriculum tasks submitted by 3.30pm and teachers will comment at the end of the week.
• Teachers will use questions and other suitable tasks to gauge how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum, and set a clear expectation on how regularly teachers will check work.
• This will enable teachers to adjust the pace or difficulty of what is being taught in response to questions or assessments, including, where necessary, revising material or simplifying explanations to ensure pupils ’understanding.
   

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:

• Liaising with the ICT technicians to ensure that the technology used for remote learning is accessible to all pupils and that reasonable adjustments are made where required.
• Ensuring that pupils with EHC plans continue to have their needs met while learning remotely, and liaising with the Head or SENDCo and other organisations to make any alternate arrangements for pupils with EHC plans. Identifying the level of support required for individual children. Being in regular contact with SEND children and their families.

If you have any problems, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our school office - rfoffice@rfgefed.co.uk or 0207 3451719.