Gayton and Middleton Primary Academies

Our School Vision

Ready, Respectful, Safe. 

Together being the best that we can be in mind body and spirit! 

“In everything, treat others the same way you want them to treat you” 

Matthew 7:12 

Remote Learning Policy

and

Frequently Asked Questions Related to Remote Learning

Agreed Expectations – Remote Learning

Teachers will

• Upload a home learning on the school website.
• Home learning will be available on the school website in the form of a timetable with guidance, links and resources where needed.
• Home learning will will be placed on your child's class page.
• Parents of children who are absent will be informed of home learning promptly via dojo with a link to the relevant web page.
• Parents will be encouraged to inform the school if they cannot access learning online to enable us to provide a learning pack or support with internet and devices.
• Home learning will be based on class planning/learning for that week to ensure pupils are not disadvantaged through lockdown, self-isolation or an inability to attend.

Learning materials

• The school will accept a range of different teaching methods during remote learning to help explain concepts and address misconceptions easily. For the purpose of providing remote learning, the school may make use of:

Work booklets

Class Dojo

The school website

Current online learning portals

Educational websites

Reading tasks

Pre-recorded video or audio lessons

Live online sessions
 

• Teachers will review the DfE’s, Ofsted’s and the EEF’s list of online education resources and utilise these tools as necessary, in addition to existing resources.
• Reasonable adjustments will be made to ensure that all pupils have access to the resources needed for effective remote learning.
• Lesson plans will be adapted to ensure that the curriculum remains fully accessible and inclusive via remote learning.
• The school will review the resources pupils have access to and adapt learning to account for all pupils needs by using a range of different formats, e.g. providing work on PDFs which can easily be printed from a mobile device.
• We will encourage pupils not to print worksheets but rather work in exercise books, on wipe boards and in workbooks provided
• Work packs will be made available for pupils who cannot access learning online. These will be provided on request.
• Teaching staff will liaise with the SENCO and other relevant members of staff to ensure all pupils remain fully supported for the duration of the remote learning period. Learning will be adapted as much as is possible.
• Any issues with remote learning resources will be reported as soon as possible to the Executive Headteacher.
• Pupils will be required to use their own or family-owned equipment to access remote learning resources, unless the school agrees to provide or loan equipment, e.g. laptops/ipads.
• Teaching staff will oversee academic progression for the duration of the remote learning period and will mark and provide feedback on work in line with the marking and feedback agreed expectations.
• The ICT technicians are not responsible for providing technical support for equipment that is not owned by the school.

Online Safety

• The school will communicate to parents via Class Dojo and the Website about any precautionary measures that need to be put in place if their child is learning remotely using their own/family-owned equipment and technology, e.g. ensuring that their internet connection is secure.
• During the period of remote learning, the school will maintain regular contact with parents to:

• Reinforce the importance of children staying safe online.
• Encourage them to set age-appropriate parental controls on devices and internet filters to block malicious websites.
• Direct parents to useful resources to help them keep their children safe online.
• The school will not be responsible for providing access to the internet off the school premises and will not be responsible for providing online safety software, e.g. anti-virus software, on devices not used in school.

Marking and feedback

All schoolwork completed through remote learning must be:

• Finished when returned to the relevant member of teaching staff.
• Returned on or before the deadline set by the relevant member of teaching staff.
• Completed to the best of the pupil’s ability.
• The pupil’s own work.
• Marked in line with the Marking and Feedback Policy.
• Pupils are accountable for the completion of their own schoolwork – teaching staff will contact parents via Dojo if their child is not completing their schoolwork or their standard of work has noticeably decreased.
• Teaching staff will monitor the academic progress of pupils with and without access to the online learning resources and discuss additional support or provision with the Executive Headteacher as soon as possible.
• Teaching staff will monitor the academic progress of pupils with SEND and discuss additional support or provision with the SENCO as soon as possible.

School day and absence

Please remember that you can only do your best.  That will be good enough.  We understand the pressures that families are under whilst trying to deliver home learning.

• The DFE recommend around 3 hours of learning each day for Primary aged pupils.
• We recognise that not all parents will be able to follow the structure as set out below due to their own work commitments.
• Each home learning timetable has ‘suggested’ timings for each activity.  These are suggestions only as some may take longer or some may take less time.
• SUGGESTED TIMETABLE ONLY  - Pupils will be present for remote learning by 9:00am and cease their remote learning at 3:00pm from Monday to Friday, with the exception of breaks and lunchtimes, as outlined below.
• Please note that physical and ‘fun’ activities are part this timetable.
• Breaks and lunchtimes will take place at the following times each day:

Morning break will take place at 10:30am until 10:45am.

Lunchtime will take place between 12:00pm and 12:45pm.

Afternoon break will take place at 2:00pm until 2:15pm.

• Pupils with SEND or additional medical conditions who require more regular breaks, e.g. sensory breaks, are not expected to do schoolwork during their breaks.
• Pupils who are unwell are not expected to be present for remote working until they are well enough to do so.
• Parents will inform their child’s teacher no later than 8:45am if their child is unwell if they are expected at school and in the event of them not being able to complete work to upload for their class teacher.
• The school will monitor absence and lateness in line with the Attendance Policy.

Remote education provision: information for parents

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.

For details of what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating, please see the final section of this page.

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?

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 provide the same activities for remote learning as we do in school wherever possible.  However, we have made some adaptions in some subjects.  For example, we have tried to provide you with a selection of wider curriculum and fun activities in the afternoon sessions to suit learning at home. There is also a great focus on basic skills.

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:

Please remember that you can only do your best.  That will be good enough.  We understand the pressures that families are under whilst trying to deliver home learning.

Accessing remote education

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

• The remote learning timetable has a mixture of online and paper based activities.
• If you have any problems accessing the links provided please use ClassDojo to inform your class teacher. Please ring or email the office if needed.
• Don’t forget to let us know if you need any additional resources. Or if you have issues with the internet and devices.
• If the whole class is shut then the class teacher will be in contact with you regularly via ClassDojo to support your child with their learning.
• If a Bubble has been shut there will be a ‘Zoom’ act of  Collective Worship each week. During a full lockdown this will happen each week regardless of ‘Bubble’ closure at school.

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:

How will my child be taught remotely?

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

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?

• If your child is well whilst in lockdown or self-isolating we do expect them to complete the remote/home learning provided
• If there are any issues delivering remote leaning please get in touch with the class teacher and we will offer support and advice.

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

• Remote leaning will be checked via ClassDojo
• Where work cannot be uploaded the teacher will work out alternative arrangements with the parent/carer
• Staff will call parents where remote learning is not completed to find out what support we can offer.
• Home visits may be completed to ensure parents/carers have the appropriate support.

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:

• Feedback will be given on ClassDojo for remote learning.
• Live or pre-recorded feedback sessions

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:

• Individual timetables, spelling list and activities are set in line with each pupil’s ability and ‘My Plan’
• Teachers are available via ClassDojo to provide advice and support.
• In some cases we may be able to provide some 1:1 live sessions. This depends on staff capapcity.

Remote education during lockdown and 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.

Even during a lockdown teachers and staff are in school full time and need to strike a balance between remote support and teaching those in school.

If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating or they are in lockdown, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?

• The timetable for remote learning is available on the school website each week regardless of how many children are self-isolating or in lockdown.  It is the same timetable used for those in school.
• The provision in school is the same as the remote ‘Home learning’ timetable.
• Where it is just one or two individual pupils isolating the class teacher will only be able to respond to questions outside direct teaching hours and any urgent requests should be directed to the school office.