Covid Remote Learning

Blended Learning: a mix of face-to-face and remote methods. An example would be the ‘flipped classroom’, where main input happens remotely (for example through video), while practice and tutoring happen in class.

Remote Learning: a broad term encompassing any learning that happens outside of the classroom, with the teacher not present in the same location as the pupils.

Live Learning: Live online classes are synchronous events organized in a live virtual meeting room where pupils and teachers meet together to communicate with voice, video, whiteboard. Live online classes teachers and pupils to be online at the same time. 

Intent

At St Peter’s Primary School, we understand the need to continually deliver high quality education, including during periods of remote working. We recognise the importance of maintaining high expectations in all areas of school life and ensuring that all children have access to learning resources and support that they need to succeed.

In the event of either a partial or full school closure due to Covid-19, we will be providing comprehensive learning opportunities for all our children. In the event of a ‘bubble’ closure or local lockdown, St Peter’s will implement provision for blended learning to ensure children do not miss out on their education. We will ensure that the curriculum is consistent with the existing school programme of study wherever practically possible and that it is inclusive and accessible to all. This policy outlines how we will deliver blended learning during the ongoing pandemic.

Through the implementation of this policy, we aim to address the key issues of online safety, inclusion, digital access, data protection and safeguarding.

This policy aims to:

  • Minimise the disruption to children’s education and the delivery of our school curriculum.
  • Ensure that all children have provision in place to access blended learning at short notice.
  • Ensure that children, as much as possible, can access blended learning with wherever possible, minimal support from an adults at home.
  • Protect all users against the risks associated with using the internet through using a St Helens approved provider and email account.
  • Ensure that staff and parent/carer data is not misused.
  • Ensure that robust safeguarding measures continue during periods of remote learning.

Implementation

Blended learning is an approach to education that combines online educational opportunities, along with more traditional classroom approaches. It allows children to learn from home and continue to progress through the programmes of study that are set by the school. We plan to implement

blended learning from a child’s first day of absence if their health and wellbeing allows them to learn from home.

This plan of blended learning will be applied in the following instances:

  • A child is isolating after testing positive providing they are asymptomatic and well enough to learn.
  • A child isolating following a positive test of a member of their household.
  • A school bubble is isolating following a positive test result of a member of the school community.
  • Whole school isolation, following Government lockdown procedures.
 
  • Children who are awaiting test results for themselves or a member of their household.
  • Children isolating after returning from holiday.
  • Children who are well enough to attend school but are not doing due to parental perception of risk whilst the school remains open.
  • Any incidence where shielding takes precedence over school attendance.

The following approaches apply to whole school or partial school closure where a teacher and pupils are healthy and well enough to work.

Whole school approaches

Teachers are not expected to conduct ‘Live Lessons’ for every lesson of the day, there should be a blend of live, pre-recorded, set work and links to other sources. The wellbeing of the staff is paramount.

Live lessons have a lot of advantages, they can make curriculum alignment easier, and can keep pupils ‘attention, not least as the teacher has more control over the learning environment. But live lessons are not always more effective than asynchronous approaches’ Ofsted January 2021

                  School will use a mixture of

  • Live lessons through MS Teams (The vast majority of lessons will have a live element to it)
  • Set tasks and pre-recorded lessons through MS Teams
  • Set tasks and pre-recorded lessons through Tapestry
  • Use of educational subscription software including Century Tech, Education City, Timetable Rockstar’s and Reading Eggs
  • Printed paper in a resource pack
  • Weekly appearance by KABS who are conducting online exercise lessons and challenges.
  • A weekly morning worship conducted by the school chaplain
  • Lessons will be ‘Go Live’ at 9.30am, 11.00am, 1.30pm, followed by signposting to our subscription programmes plus set tasks such as spelling and four a day.
  • Key Stage 2 will have a minimum of 4 hours per day and Key Stage 1 a minimum 3 hours.
  • Each child will receive a broad and balanced curriculum and will receive, wherever possible, the same learning as that happening in school with keyworker and vulnerable children.

It is important to note that it will be impossible to provide the exact same provision that would be provided during a normal school day. This would usually be because children at home do not have the same access to the facilities and equipment they would have in school.

For example: Children at home will not have the same Art and Design and Technology resources or they could not use the equipment we would use for PE. Not all children will have instruments for music or be able to go out to conduct some research.

One key issue is that teachers will be delivering their lessons from home and it is unreasonable to suggest that a teacher would be able deliver the same curriculum under these circumstances.

The curriculum will differ to what the teacher feels is reasonable and practicable. Children will follow white rose maths using resources that they deliver online. English will be delivered by using a wide range of strategies, with the end result being that children have been taught their year group key skills. 

Feedback

Feedback will take several forms. Staff are not expected to feedback or answer emails immediately, although some staff may find this a more effective and efficient option. Feedback can take many forms including:

  • Verbal over MS Teams
  • Feedback option on MS Teams
  • Email
  • Comments on Tapestry

Access to resources

St Peter’s will provide iPads and laptops to families who have requested them, or we have identified who may need one. To date the school has received 4 DFE laptops.

All children were prepared with an emergency lockdown resource pack that contained, exercise books, whiteboard and pen, plus worksheets to help with the online learning. Evidence of completion of work will be either through the use of the worksheets or uploaded work from home via MS Teams or Tapestry. Internet vouchers and enhanced provision by providers will be distributed to families who need it.

At present, all our families have access to the internet and our learning platforms. If there is a problem with the internet service, then school will provide paper copies of work for children to work with. These can either be picked up by the parent or dropped off at home by school.

Children’s health and wellbeing.

In the event of a whole-school closure, where the school remains open for key worker children, teaching staff, who are not shielding, will be in school as much as possible on a rota basis. The decision to proceed with a ‘live lesson’ approach will enable the children to talk to and see each other at least 3 times a day, thus reducing, but not eradicating the extra stress of lockdown. The school’s Educational Welfare Officer will also liaise with St Peter’s and give reports on any children that are being monitored.

Children will receive lessons that help to deal with being away from school and to give them coping mechanisms.

Completion and evidence of work

Due to the demands on parents/carers who are working from home, along with the limited access to digital resources for families with more than one child attending school, we understand that work may not be completed by the end of the school day. It is our policy that all work will be responded to by the class teacher. This may not always be immediate or in great detail due to the restrictions remote learning brings. 

The children should undertake the tasks in the order they are provided and ‘turned in’ to their teacher for marking as soon as they have been completed.

Teachers will be online during normal school hours to provide feedback or address any queries or questions the children may have. Teachers are not expected to answer emails or questions at unreasonable times of the day.

Please note that in the event of a whole school lockdown, there may be occasions when a member of teaching staff is in school providing care and education for Key worker children or making welfare phone calls. Teachers will be working on a rota basis to provide these services, therefore may be unavailable through the day. Furthermore, in the event of a child isolating with their family, but their class remains in school, class teachers will only be available for detailed feedback and support after 3.45PM as they will be in class teaching during school hours.

Engagement 

All children are expected to engage in remote education, this could either be live (preferable) or later depending on circumstances.   Teachers will stick to a timetable that is set the week before to enable families organise their week around the lessons.

A register will be taken each day and at the end of the week, every teacher will fill in an excel form identifying their class attendance and highlighting vulnerable children who are causing concern.

Phone calls will be made to parents who we are concerned about and the Education Welfare Officer will call specific families. 

Younger children will access MS Teams in the usual way and EYFS will access Tapestry and sessions on MS Teams also

Assessment

Child attainment and progress

It is vitally important that as a school we keep track of all children’s progress and attainment. Therefore, during periods of remote learning, teaching staff will be keeping records of child participation, progress and attainment which will be considered at termly pupil progress meetings. Assessment through remote learning is inherently difficult as many of the tasks will be supported by parents, giving a false impression about progress.

Assessment can take place in a variety of ways for remote learning; however, it is not the same as it would be in a normal school setting. The following are some ways in which teachers may assess progress.

  • End of unit assessments such as those provided by white rose.
  • Teachers setting knowledge quizzes either set online or live
  • Feedback through turned in work
  • Questioning and answering through live session
  • Set assessment papers
  • Spelling and times table tests
  • Learning platforms that give teacher feedback on pupil progress: Century Tech and Rock Stars
 

Inclusion

During periods of blended learning, teaching staff will set tasks appropriately based upon the needs of every individual child within their class. This will be aided by online platforms such as Reading Eggs and Century Tech, which uses artificial intelligence to set tasks based upon pupil performance.

SEND

All SEND children are identified and their attendance is t be monitored closely. Teachers will be sensitive to the needs of each child and if required, will work closely with families. Children will access their education through the normal platforms and progress will be monitored.

Preparing the children for home learning

To prepare all of our children at St Peter’s for a period of blended learning, we have tutored the children in school in how to use class MS Teams and Century Tech. We have also set homework on our chosen digital platforms from September 2020

We strongly recommend that you encourage your child to complete the homework tasks each week so that, should we need to use blended learning, they are as competent as possible in accessing and completing the work from the outset. This will also benefit parents as children should be able to complete work without too much assistance.

Teacher Illness

In the event of a class teacher being ill and unable to set work, it will be the responsibility of the Senior Leadership Team to set online tasks. If this event does occur, parents/ carers are strongly advised to collect their child’s paper-based pack from the school office so that learning can begin from day one of isolation. Online learning will be set as much as possible during this time.

Roles and responsibilities

School Senior Leaders

  • To ensure that any school closure reflects guidance and regulations set by Public Health England, the Local authority and the DFE.
  • To monitor the health and wellbeing of staff, children and parents and carers.
  • To ensure that the implementation of this policy is consistent across the school.
  • To communicate with families on a whole school level, providing updates about any ongoing school closure.
  • Ensuring that records of progress and attainment of all pupils is being maintained

Designated Safeguarding Lead

Ensure that all stakeholders are accessing blended learning in line with the school e-safety policy, safeguarding and child protection policy, GDPR policy, equality policy and acceptable user policy.

  • To maintain robust safeguarding procedures to ensure the welfare and safety of children, families and staff members.

Teachers

  • To provide a broad and balanced curriculum within the confines of the remote learning environment
  • To provide marking and feedback in line with the criteria detailed in this policy.
  • To be online with the children at agreed set times giving parents through the MS Teams Calendar ample opportunity to prepare their day around remote learning.
  • To ensure that work set for every child is differentiated to set high expectations in learning.
  • To uphold the school aims and values at all times.
  • To uphold the staff code of conduct
  • Record evidence of children’s uptake, attainment and progress in reading, phonics, writing, SPAG and Maths

SENDCO

  • To ensure that all children on the SEND register are accessing learning at an appropriate level.
  • Ensure that parents are aware of their child’s current IEP targets in order to provide targeted

support at home if possible.

  • To liaise with staff regarding communication with children on the SEND register.
  • To support staff in setting work that is appropriate for individual children’s needs.

Subject Leaders

  • Provide support to class teachers regarding work that is being set for blended learning.
  • Monitor that work set is offering the appropriate challenge for all children.
  • Monitor that work set is in line with the curriculum programmes of study used within school.
  • Advise staff where appropriate, when changes to the curriculum need to be adapted to better suit the blended learning approach.

Pupils

  • To try their best
  • To complete work on time if not limited by digital access.
  • Contact their teacher if they need support (Key Stage 2)
  • Follow the set timetable to allow for breaks in screen time.
  • Work as independently as possible.

Parents

  • Ensure that their child is safe online when at home
  • Support their child by contacting the class teacher during school hours (Key Stage 1+ EYFS)
  • Communicate with staff if their child is unable to complete work due to illness or for other acceptable reasons
  • To be respectful when contacting members of staff.

Governors

  • To monitor the school approach to blended learning and challenge the Headteacher if improvements could be considered.

Contacts

  • Headteacher – Mr P Robinson
  • Deputy Headteacher and DSL - Mrs M Colley
  • Assistant Head & EYFS -  Mrs D Harrison
  • SENDCO – Mrs Ruth Vinyard
  • Remote Learning Lead – Mr Moorcroft

Impact

The impact of this policy will be that children continue to receive the highest quality of education in the event absence linked to COVID 19.

DFE link for parents / carers

MICROSOFT TEAMS TRAINING FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS LINK

Files to Download

St Peters C of E Primary School, Birley St, Newton-le-Willows, WA12 9UR