Remote Learning Guide
We have used the Department for Education’s recommended template to provide the following information to pupils or parents/carers about what to expect from remote education where national or local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home.
For details of what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating, please see the final section of this information.
To help you understand how to use Google Classroom to find complete and return work please use the following Google Classroom Help attachment.
The remote curriculum: what is taught to pupils at home
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 have needed to make some adaptations in some subjects. For example, it is not always possible to deliver the Science curriculum without recourse to practical lessons so there may be more theory lessons scheduled. Some subjects may adjust the sequence of topics so that pupils can be supported more effectively.
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 pupils will follow their normal timetable each day and that remote education (including remote teaching and independent work) will take pupils broadly the following number of hours each day:
Key Stage 2 – 4 hours a day
Key Stage 3 – 5 hours a day
Accessing remote education
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?
All lessons will be set via the Google Classroom platform. All pupils have had some training on this in school and explanations of how to access, use and submit work on google classroom are included above.
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 should contact admin@ralphsadleir.academy if access to IT at home is a problem.
We may be able to offer:
- The loan of a chrome book
- Access to free data via a SIM card
- All issues will be supported on a case by case basis.
How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely:
- recorded teaching (e.g. Oak National Academy lessons, video/audio recordings made by teachers)
- Assignments posted in Google Classroom
- textbooks and reading books pupils have at home
- commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas, including video clips or sequences
- online platforms such as My maths, Rennaisance Reading which we already use in our daily life at school.
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?
- Pupils are expected to complete the work that has been set each day by the deadline given.
- We encourage parents/carers to go into their child’s Google Classroom and check what work has been set on the classwork tab or use the Google Calendar, which should show when work is due in.
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
Teachers will be answering queries and giving feedback to pupils in a range of ways; including answering queries on the classroom stream or via private Google Classroom messaging or school email, private emails/messages sent to pupils in response to queries/work. If engagement is a concern we will first of all contact the pupil via email/message, then we will inform parents/carers if work still is not produced.
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 pupils’ work is as follows:
- Work will be assessed and resent back to pupils so they can check and in some cases resubmit improved work
- Some feedback will be instant and electronic
- Pupils should receive some form of feedback from each subject at least once a week
- If a pupil does not submit or engage in the work set, then the pupil’s parents/carers will be notified.
There will also be regular contact home via phone or email. Pupils or parents/carers are encouraged to contact the school should they have any concerns or queries.
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:
- Some pupils will be invited in to work in school where their learning can be supported.
- Other pupils will have their work differentiated so they can manage their own learning.
- Class teachers, the SENDCo or teaching assistants will check in with these pupils as necessary.
Remote education for self-isolating pupils
Where individual pupils need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in school, how remote education is provided will likely differ from the approach for whole groups. This is due to the challenges of teaching pupils both at home and in school.
If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?
Pupils should log on to their tutor Google Classroom and there will be work set for them to follow during the week. This may be a version of the class lesson or else it will be an easily accessed task, which will enhance their understanding in the area of the curriculum being covered. The pupil will be either required to upload their work to the Google Classroom or else they may be instructed to bring it into school after their period of isolation has finished.
