Remote Learning

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Introduction:

This remote learning policy has been written as guidance for staff and parents. It aims to outline expectations for the use of remote learning resources and teaching during a potential local lockdown of the school due to COVID-19. 

It sets out the systems and technology that staff will use to keep learning experiences going for children, and details how they can be used effectively and safely while allowing for the differing needs of children and families.

The school’s usual Online Safety Policy and Acceptable Use Agreements still apply at this time but this policy is an addendum in these unprecedented circumstances.

 

Working in line with Government expectations for remote learning:

The Government’s latest guidance states the expectation of schools:

‘To be able to immediately offer access to remote education. Schools should monitor engagement with this activity.’

‘Remote education, where needed, is high quality and aligns as closely as possible with in-school provision.’

‘Schools and other settings continue to build their capability to educate pupils remotely, where this is needed.’

‘All schools are expected to plan to ensure any pupils educated at home for some of the time are given the support they need to master the curriculum and so make good progress.’

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools

 

Preparing prior to local lockdown:

Setting up provision and support for families:

• Children across the school (from EYFS to Year 6) have been assigned a Google account (Using @holnechase.com) and given access to an online Google Classroom for their cohort. This has been communicated to all families via parent’s emails and offered during partial closure of the school, so many families are familiar with this already. 
• Parents have been given a permission consent letter to indicate that they are happy for their child to participate in the live lesson parts of remote learning in lockdown. If we do not get consent from parents, individual children will not be given access to Google Meet.
• Parents have been given a guide (Which can be found in the parents’ information section of Google Classroom) to support their understanding of how to use remote learning systems and technologies safely and securely. 
• Parents have access to a [email protected] email account to ask questions and seek support about remote learning when needed during working school hours. 
• Families with difficulties accessing online learning will have opportunities to discuss this with relevant school staff and provision will be made where possible to support them.

Supporting Staff:

• Jo Cahill has trained as a Level 1 Google for Education Educator using Google’s online learning system. 
• She delivered training support for staff during September and November INSET days and went through this policy with them. 
• Staff have been given guides and advice to assist them in using the systems and technologies required.

 

What we will offer:

Online systems and technologies we will use:

Google Classroom is our main method of communicating and supporting remote learning during a local lockdown.

This will be supplemented by wider tools available in Google Workplace as appropriate to year groups:

Google Meet:

The video conferencing tool will be used for live lesson inputs including ‘present’ to share visuals and other content. (See specific section below focused on this element of provision)

Google Forms:

This will be used for assessment purposes, using quizzes for subject content, as well as questionnaires to collect information about engagement and confidence in learning content provided.

Google Slides:

This will be used to present learning content.

Files uploaded to Google Classroom will be added using Google formats (Docs, Slides, Sheets) and pdfs avoided where possible.

Other learning technologies already used within our School: (E.g. My Maths, TT Rockstars, Letter join, Purple Mash, Lexia, Big Maths.) will be available for remote use during a local lockdown. As well as links provided to National support offers, E.g. Oak National Academy and BBC Bitesize.

This will be supplemented by a range of offline learning activities in a variety of subject areas, containing appropriate tasks (some which follow on from live input and some which can be completed in any order).

We appreciate that some families may be unable to engage with the full timetable offered, but core subjects/activities will be highlighted as key learning priorities to try to reduce the impact on children’s core understanding and skills.

Live Input Lessons via Google Meet:

As part of our remote learning offer, we aim to provide some 15 – 20 minutes live lesson opportunities for children, to maintain a sense of being part of a class and supporting them to get direct input from teachers. 

While teaching a primary-age class this way is not entirely practical, we are hoping it will provide some safe, supervised, and structured opportunities for learning. 

Our Weekly Remote Learning Offer:

• In Penguins – Each day there will be a daily live input for RWI and storytime/Well being check-in. Work packs will be delivered to families for children to complete.
• In Jaguars, Lions, and Turtles – Each day there will be 3 live lesson inputs  – 1 for Phonics/Writing through RWI, 1 for Maths, and 1 for another curriculum area, including Science and PSHE. All inputs will then have follow up activities provided in assignments on Google Classroom.
• In Tigers, Dolphins, Giant Pandas, Snow Leopards, and Polar Bears – Each day there will be 3 live lesson inputs – 1 for Reading/Phonics, 1 for Writing, and 1 for Maths. Each week there will also be a live input lesson for Science and PSHE. All inputs will then have follow up activities provided in assignments on Google Classroom. 
• Further assignments/activities will be provided for other curriculum areas where appropriate for the year group overview for that term and a focus placed on well being throughout year groups.

Each class has an individual timetable displayed on Google Classroom which outlines the opportunities for learning available, matching the Government Guidelines.

 

Rules of using Google Meet (Staff):

• No staff member will contact families using Meet outside of any pre-arranged meetings.
• Google Classroom Lead and ICT Team will ensure appropriate security settings are in place for the meeting. This includes ensuring that access is only granted to the expected registered ‘@holnechase.com’ users invited with a direct link via Google Classroom; restricting children’s abilities within the program to start their own meetings, record or stream a meeting.  
• Staff will remove users from a meeting if rules are not being followed, concerns logged and parents informed why. 
• Staff to join Google Meet just before the lesson input is due to begin to allow families to access and resolve any connection difficulties before the lesson begins. Staff can mute themselves and turn off their camera until the lesson is due to begin as parents will be with their child supervising.
• A teacher and one other staff member will be present throughout the video meeting to help safeguard all participants and monitor appropriate use. 
• No video meetings will be held with one child only.
• Teachers will stay in the meeting until everyone has ‘logged off’ to safely close the meeting and disable the login nickname. Removing any remaining children if needed.
• Teachers and any other adults on the call (or in the background) will use appropriate language/behaviour throughout the call. 
• Code of conduct for teachers still applies – staff must remain professional at all times.
• Safeguarding policy still applies – concerns to be reported via My Concern.
• Live lessons (If carried out away from school) to be located in an appropriate/professional area, where possible, without personal belongings visible and away from other household members. (E.g. not recording in bedrooms, no inappropriate items visible).
• No movement from the recording area to take place – no tours of houses.

 

Rules of using Google Meet (Parents and children):

• An appropriate adult must remain in the same room as the child during video meetings to monitor and ensure they are safe and using it appropriately. To confirm this, when joining a video meeting, an adult will need to briefly be onscreen with their child so that staff know there is an appropriate adult nearby. This will also give staff a chance to communicate any messages with parents about the lesson if needed. 
• Although during most of the meeting, children’s microphone and camera will be disabled, children must take part in a suitable communal environment (not a bedroom) and be appropriately dressed (uniform isn’t necessary, but they should be fully dressed).
• All members of the household must be aware that the meeting is taking place and make sure they are also suitably dressed and use appropriate language and behaviour when nearby or in the background. 
• Parents must make sure children have ‘logged off’ the meeting correctly once it is finished – before turning off any devices. 
• Screenshots, photos, or recordings of Google Meet meetings must not be made and the links must not be shared with others. 

 

Staff’s Responsibilities/Curriculum Expectations:

When providing remote learning, staff will be available Monday – Friday between usual working hours (9 am and 3 pm.) However, this does not mean they will be at a computer throughout this whole time.  If staff are unable to work for any reason during this time, for example, due to sickness or caring for a dependent, they should discuss this with the Principal or report this using the normal absence procedure. 

Cover for staff who are unable to carry out live lessons will be provided by HLTAs and intervention teachers, with support from Key Stage leaders to identify content to teach.

 

During those hours, Teachers are responsible for:

Setting work on Google Classroom:

• Providing appropriate content in line with national curriculum expectations for children in their class. This will be delivered through a mixture of live inputs and work set up as assignments. (As outlined above)
• Liaising with relevant leaders, E.g. SENDCO and EAL Lead as appropriate.
• Differentiating work, where possible, to cater to specific needs.
• Coordination between phase teachers to ensure consistency of work set.
• Considerations made for children with limited access to devices – no expectation for work to be printed at home.

   Interaction, marking, and feedback: 

• Reviewing work submitted by children on Google Classroom.
• Monitoring peer communication amongst children.
• Responding to questions or queries about work set.
• Providing interaction and motivation through the delivery of feedback. Feedback will be provided for all work submitted.
• Identifying children who are not engaging in remote learning, making calls to families to offer support and highlighting concerns to the FSW to follow up where needed.
• Certificates for Reading and Values will be sent virtually via Google Classroom to individuals each week. 

During those hours, Teaching Assistants are responsible for:

Children who are required to remain in school during a local lockdown, E.g. vulnerable or key worker children, will be in class with their own teacher and supported by teaching assistants as appropriate while teachers are supporting home learning. Children in school will access the same learning content as those working from home. 

Teaching assistants will be present in Google Meet live lessons to monitor chat and support teachers.

During those hours, Senior Leaders are responsible for:

• Carrying out any teaching responsibilities.
• Coordinating remote learning provision across their phase.
• Monitoring staff well-being and work-load.
• Coordinating provision for key workers/ vulnerable children.
• Ensuring robust safeguarding procedures are followed.

 

Wider school community links:

Video assemblies:

Due to the number of children on roll, whole school live video assemblies will not be possible. However, we still plan to have a pre-recorded video assembly posted in classrooms twice a week (Values and well-being focused). 

School Private Facebook page:

To support families with remote learning and community spirit, during a local lockdown, the school private Facebook page will be utilised to share and celebrate learning experiences and activity ideas between families. This will be monitored and coordinated by Annette Priest and concerns about posted content reported to the Principal. 

Privacy, data protection: 

The safety of both children and staff when using any technology is paramount and we will be following relevant advice from Google for Education, our DPO.

Any use of online learning tools and systems is in line with privacy and data protection / GDPR requirements. (See school GDPR policy)

Communication between staff and families must be through the authorised school systems and not through personal email or social media accounts. It should follow the usual rules outlined in the Online Safety Policy and Acceptable Use Agreements. 

Due consideration should be put in by staff before sharing photo or video content as to whether there are any issues regarding reputation, professional conduct, online safety, or other safeguarding. Staff will only use school-provided equipment.

 

Safeguarding and Online safety:

With the increased use of digital technologies that comes with remote learning, safeguarding implications need careful consideration. Parents are advised to spend some time speaking with their children about online safety and reminding them of the importance of reporting to an adult anything that makes them feel uncomfortable online. While staff will be doing their best to ensure links shared are appropriate, there may be tailored advertising which displays differently in individual households or other changes beyond the school’s control. 

 The following websites offer useful support for parents during this time: 

∙ Childline – for support https://www.childline.org.uk/

∙ UK Safer Internet Centre – to report and remove harmful online content https://www.saferinternet.org.uk/

∙ CEOP – for advice on making a report about online abuse https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

 

In addition, the following sites are an excellent source of advice and information: 

∙ Internet matters – for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online https://www.internetmatters.org/

∙ Net-aware – for support for parents and carers from the NSPCC   https://www.net-aware.org.uk/

∙ Parent info – for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online  https://parentinfo.org/

∙Thinkuknow – for advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online  https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

Staff should continue to be vigilant at this time and follow our usual online safety and safeguarding/child protection policies and procedures, contacting a safeguarding lead and reporting on My Concern.

Please see our Trusts Online Saftey Policy : Online-Safety-Trust-Policy-COM9-V1