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 when students are self-isolating and in the event that restrictions require entire cohorts to remain at home.

Remote education for self-isolating pupils

We will ensure that class work is available for individual pupils self-isolating through Google Classroom. However, there may be a bit of a delay, for example if a teacher is teaching all day and does not find out that a student is self-isolating before that morning. If your child does not have any work for a lesson please remind them that they have their knowledge organisers which they should revise and learn as well as access to online resources such as mymaths, kerboodle and GCSEPod. Please contact your child's form tutor in the first instance if you have any concerns or questions.

Remote education if an entire cohort or the school is required to remain at home
A pupil’s first day or two of being educated remotely might look different from our standard approach whilst 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?
Year 10 and 11 pupils will have lessons in accordance with their school timetable. These will either be live lessons or clear instructions will be available on each pupil’s Google Classroom as to the tasks they are to do.

Years 7-9 will be set class work on Google Classroom. So far as possible this will be set in accordance with their school timetable but it may be adapted to allow us time to set up remote learning for a longer period. Parents/carers will be informed at the time.

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 will need to make adaptations in some subjects. For example, Art and music will be adapted to ensure that the tasks set are easily undertaken at home.

• Years 10 and 11 will follow their normal school timetable, PSHE and core PRE will be optional.

• Years 7-9 will study the same subjects as they do in school but the timetable will be adapted to make it simpler to follow.

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:

• KS3: Years 7-9, 5 hours

• KS4: Years 10-11, 5-6 hours

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

• Google Classroom

• Google Meet for live lessons

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:

• Pupils are welcome to borrow chromebooks or dongles from school to complete the remote education, please email Mrs Dunne via officeadministrator@cobhamfreeschool.org.uk

• If necessary we will send paper workbooks home for pupils, please contact your child’s teacher in this situation

How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely:

• live teaching (online lessons) - these will be recorded so that pupils can watch them at a later date if necessary

• recorded teaching (e.g. Oak National Academy lessons, video/audio recordings made by teachers)

• some printed paper packs produced by teachers

• textbooks and reading books pupils have at home

• online platforms which we also use when pupils are in school, e.g. Kerboodle, MathsWatch, GCSEPod

• project work and/or internet research activities

What are your expectations for my child’s engagement and the support that we as parents and carers should provide at home?

• We expect pupils’ to engage fully with remote education and for KS4 pupils to follow their normal school timetable and KS3 pupils to follow the timetable sent to them.

• We ask that parents/carers support our provision of online learning by providing a comfortable, quiet place for their child to work throughout the day, ensuring their child has the necessary equipment they need and supporting them in keeping to the timetable provided to them.

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

• Subject teachers will take a register in live lessons and will keep a record of who has been submitting work. Every day, Year Leaders are given the names of pupils who have not been engaging with remote learning.

• In the first instance, the Year Leader will email the pupil. If the problem persists, the Year Leader will contact the parent/carer to find out if their child needs more support.

• Parents/carers will also be informed if their child misbehaves during a live lesson.

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:

• Whole class and individual feedback through Google Classroom

• Whole class and individual feedback in lessons

• Feedback on quizzes/tests

• Pupils will receive regular feedback

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:

• If your child has an EHCP or your child is eligible for additional support under the ‘vulnerable’ category then they will be offered a place in school during lockdown where they will be supervised and supported by a team of Learning Support Assistants. If a school place is declined, these pupils will be assigned an LSA to assist with remote learning.

• Teachers will be planning lessons that are differentiated in line with additional learning needs within their class, this will be reflected in the way the live lesson is delivered and the resources the pupils are being asked to complete.

• Core subject teachers have been consulted and asked to highlight pupils who are struggling in core subject areas. The selected pupils will be contacted and offered a period of online intervention via Learning Support Assistants. This will take place during assembly and ECA time.

• If your child has an emotional need, our school ELSAs are currently delivering pastoral care to pupils with regular phone calls home. The school ELSAs work closely with the Heads of Year to ensure this form of support is targeted in a timely manner. If you have a concern about your child’s emotional wellbeing, please contact your Head of Year in the first instance.