Remote Learning

Remote Learning Policy 

Remote Learning Offer

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 where national or local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home. 

Our Offer:

At Smarden, we use Google classroom for both normal home learning and in the event of any school closures.  This means that there will be no delay in getting remote education up and running and we will be delivering the normal curriculum straight away.  

 Teachers will deliver ‘live’ lessons via Google meet linked to Google classroom.  Teachers post the link to live lessons on each pupil’s Google Classroom page.  Pupils can interact with their class teacher on Google meet using live audio or a written notes feed during each lesson.  All relevant lesson resources will be uploaded to an individual’s Google classroom class page for each lesson.  This will allow pupils to review the lesson taught or access the resources used for every lesson.

 Each pupil is offered one 45 minute ‘live’ lesson per day, plus one 15 minute live maths lesson in the afternoon.  In addition to this, pupils are offered one live feedback lesson per week with their class teacher.  The remainder of home learning at Smarden consists of lessons posted to a pupil’s Google classroom which have a pre-recorded teaching video purpose made by the pupil’s teacher to teach the pupils the content of the lesson and give instructions on the work set.

 The work set can be edited by the children and uploaded for the teacher to mark and provide feedback. Alternatively, children can record their work on paper and this can be scanned or photographed. 

During the daily live lesson for each class, the class teacher will take a register, introduce the lesson, set work, answer questions and provide feedback. This is also a good opportunity for children to interact with their peers. 

Children have been provided with login details for them to access a range of additional learning platforms (e.g. TTRS, Monster Phonics and Spelling Shed).

Teachers continue to communicate daily with children through Google Classroom and ClassDojo. 

We continue to come together for our live daily assembly and share news and celebrations in our weekly newsletter. 

 Chrome books (and SIM cards with free data) are offered on loan to any family who may need these, and these can be delivered to a pupil’s home address if required.

 We also have a library on Google classroom to which all pupils at Smarden are given access, which offers audio books and e-books for pupils to enjoy, plus a range of activities around reading like book reviews or competitions.  We continue to celebrate ‘Author of the Month’ in the online library.

 We also provide a reading book loan service for pupils.  Parents can request a selection of books and can then either pick these up from outside reception or we can deliver.  Books are always quarantined after they have been out of school.

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 have needed to make some adaptations in some subjects, for example, Science, where not all experiments can be conducted due to safety concerns or equipment requirements.  In this case, we might use more research/questioning, videos and observation than would normally be the case within the classroom. 

Teachers are working to continuously close the learning gaps identified within their classes. Daily maths and English lessons are being planned and taught. In addition, teachers are also providing a variety of lessons on the wider curriculum ensuring the coverage of National Curriculum skills and knowledge. 

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:

Accessing remote education

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

All pupils have access to Google Classroom and we use this for delivery of lessons and assessment. 

In addition to this, we use the following programs:

English:

- Spelling Shed

- Accelerated Reader

- Monster Phonics 

- Nessy

Maths

- TTRS

- Mymaths

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:

• All pupils who do not have access to a digital device e.g. laptop or tablet will be issued with a Chromebook to use for remote learning. You can phone, email or contact the school on ClassDojo if you need to borrow a device. 
• Wherever possible when planning lessons we will avoid activities that need to be printed. Instead resources and assignments should be able to be edited online and then submitted. 
• If you do not have access to an internet connection, please contact the school and we can help to set this up.  We also have SIM cards with free data to give to parents.
• In the event that none of these solutions is possible, we deliver Schofield and Sims workbooks for pupils to complete and arrange to collect these for marking and feedback.  We use Royal Mail if the pupil lives too far from the school for this to be possible.

How will my child be taught remotely?

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

• The majority of lessons will have a live element. 
• A daily live lesson taught by the class teacher (focus on core subjects e.g. English or Maths).
• Recorded teaching e.g. video and audio recordings by the teacher to introduce lessons and assignments..
• Reading books to be read at home.
• Commercially available websites to support the teaching of specific subjects including video clips and learning games.
• Project work and research activities. 

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?

We expect as many children as possible to log on to Google classroom and access their learning through this platform so that they can interact with the class teacher daily.

A register will be taken each lesson to monitor attendance.  Pupils who do not attend ‘Live’ lessons will be tracked as they would if school were still taking place as normal.  Pupils are expected to hand in their work done as and when requested by each individual teacher so that the teacher can provide help and feedback.  

Pupils are expected to display positive behaviour whilst participating in live lessons creating a positive working environment for all - see behaviour agreement below.

We understand the challenges that remote learning can bring and therefore we will do everything we can to support pupils and their families. If you as a parent or guardian have any questions regarding Google classroom or live lessons then please get in touch with the school directly and we will do what we can to help.

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

Pupils’ engagement will be tracked daily by the class teacher and shared weekly with the Headteacher. 

If pupil engagement is a concern the class teacher will contact the parents and carers to check on the welfare of the pupils and offer appropriate help and support. If concerns persist, a member of the Senior Leadership Team will make contact. 

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:

• Individual written comments highlighting how well pupils have done and next steps. 
• Marks awarded e.g. for spelling tests or quizzes.
• Instant verbal feedback during live lessons. 
• Editing time when needed.
• Peer to peer feedback. 
• Whole class feedback.

All work will be given some form of feedback.  Work that children upload to Google classroom will be looked at daily and teachers,including senior leaders, will comment on the work as appropriate.  

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:

• All pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) are invited to attend school, as are those who are in receipt of High Needs Funding.  We encourage parents to take up this support, but respect parents’ right to keep their children at home if requested.
• We stay in regular contact with parents of all children with SEN at the school.
• Our use of Google Classroom allows work to be made accessible for all learners. Differentiated tasks can be set and assigned to individual pupils. 
• Scaffolding, used worked examples and video modelling is available to support pupils with additional needs. 
• We may offer support from the school’s Senco, which might include small group online sessions, adapted work packs or providing specific physical resources.  These can be delivered if necessary.
• If a pupil is supported by external agencies, this support may continue depending on the individual agency and their policies.

Remote education for self-isolating pupils 

Where individual children need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in school, Google classroom will provide these pupils with the opportunity to stay engaged in the learning that is happening in the classroom and not fall behind.  The class TA will be asked to help with this.  As far as possible, children working remotely will be offered the same curriculum as pupils are receiving within the classroom but some activities may need to be adapted.