Remote Learning
What should my child expect from immediate remote education in the first day or two of pupils being sent home?
From day one of a school closure, we will begin remote teaching via Evidence Me Now and/or Teams (EYFS) and Seesaw (Y1-6). We will work with parents and carers to support with any teething problems with online access/familiarity with these platforms. Seesaw has been used for homework for some time, with the majority of children accessing without issue.
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?
Throughout any period of school closure, we will aim to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum to all children across school. Each Monday, each class will be sent a timetable of the week, which will broadly mirror what would have been covered in school. Each day, lessons will include the following: Daily coverage EYFS: x1 literacy; x1 maths; x1 understanding the world; x1 phonics Daily coverage KS1: x1 English; x1 maths; x1 foundation; x1 phonics Daily coverage KS2: x1 English; x1 maths; x1 foundation (weekly spellings with extra practise activities); weekly spelling test.
How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?
The Department for Education have asked that younger primary pupils receive 3 hours of learning per day; whilst older primary pupils receive 4 hours of tuition. This includes both teaching content and time for children to complete tasks set, as well as respond to class teacher feedback.
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?
Lessons and activities for our Nursery and Reception children are available via Evidence Me Now and/or Teams.
From Year 1 to Year 6, all learning content is accessed via Seesaw where work can be completed within the app, or on paper and then uploaded. In addition to daily lessons, live sessions are delivered via Microsoft Teams and are available for all children across the school.
The primary aim of live sessions is outlined below:
· Social interaction between class teachers and children in the class, which will hugely benefit children both emotionally and socially
· Focus on communication and language skills through story time, show and tell and updates
· Review learning from the previous day(s), celebrate successes and discuss common misconceptions
· Outline learning for the days ahead, sharing incentives and rewards for accessing home learning activities. Waverley staff shall aim to deliver live sessions daily in Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6; three times weekly in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3; and twice weekly in Nursery.
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 encourage parents and carers to contact school if they have any issues with accessing Seesaw online. We will support with devices wherever possible and where Government device allocation allows. As a temporary solution, and only if it is necessary, school can offer paper-based activities; these will come with an additional pastoral phone call to support learning and progress.
How will my child be taught remotely?
In EYFS, the majority of lessons will include video content, in which their class teacher or other adult will teach new content, model examples and explain tasks clearly. Detailed instructions will support parents and carers in facilitating tasks, which can then be uploaded for feedback. From Year 1 to 6, daily lessons will all include video and audio content. Video/audio will be used to teach new content; verbally explain concepts that are more complex; model worked examples; and offer detailed explanation of tasks. Children will respond to tasks in a number of ways: they may complete some learning directly onto their device by using one of the many tools in Seesaw; or they may complete work on paper and upload a photograph of the outcome. The class teacher will indicate in instructions the best way to complete a give task. Live sessions will be an opportunity for teachers and pupils to discuss learning and address common misconceptions. Teachers will give whole class feedback and detailed instructions, further supporting the recorded lessons on Seesaw. Exercise books, paper and pencils are available to all pupils who do not have access to these learning tools at home.
What are your expectations for my child’s engagement and the support that we as parents and carers should provide at home?
Whilst we understand that our youngest learners in EYFS will need support when engaging in activities, class teachers endeavour to ensure that work set can be done mostly independently. From Year 1 to 6, lessons include video and audio instructions/modelling and have been pitched carefully to ensure that children can access lessons and carry out tasks with relative independence. Live sessions will also give children a positive and motivational start, meaning they are fully prepared to access lesson content from home. It is expected, if children are well, that they engage in daily remote learning.
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work, and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
We will use software analytics to monitor engagement with both platforms. Class Teachers will also monitor submissions of work across all subjects. Phone calls home will be made where there are concerns. These will focus primarily on the support and advice school can offer in encouraging full engagement.
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: Work submitted via Seesaw will be marked in accordance with the school’s marking policy. Where more detailed feedback is needed, class teachers will use the audio tool on Seesaw to offer fuller explanations. Pink marking tools will be used to allow children to spot any errors made. Where appropriate, additional challenges will be set to consolidate/extend thinking. Targeted questions will also be used to support individual children with learning and progress.
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: Work on Seesaw is differentiated in order to meet the needs of individual children. This means that each child will only see the work set for them, which is appropriate to their own development. We will work with parents and carers to support with all tasks being accessible. Our SEN and pastoral team are available and will make regular contact with all families who may need additional support at this time throughout the week.
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?
English and mathematics lessons will be uploaded twice a week. These will, where possible, mirror what is being taught in class. For further study, including foundation subjects, we will endeavour to upload the weekly lessons, where this is not possible, parents and carers will be directed via a year group curriculum map to appropriate lessons on Government-endorsed learning platforms, such as Oak academy. These online lessons will always be in line with content delivered in class. Children who are isolating but are well are expected to complete work remotely and engage with their class teacher via Seesaw daily. Children’s work will be marked and feedback will be offered each day via Seesaw.