Remote Learning
Remote Learning Provision January 2021
Huntingtower recognises the importance of education and strives to provide the best education possible for its pupils. We recognise that the role of the Academy is significant in providing a progressive set of experiences and concepts that will allow our pupils to not only deepen their knowledge and understanding of the world but will provide the foundation for all future learning and their role as a citizen in the 21st Century.
During the Coronavirus pandemic, the Government decreed that all schools should close and limit their provision to support those who were vulnerable or who had parents as key workers. Since the Academy reopened to more pupils from 1 June 2020 and then latterly, after further lockdowns, the focus has been upon ensuring that all pupils experience a progressive curriculum. A remote learning curriculum was provided to all pupils who didn’t return in June 2020 and, since the wider opening in June, the daily lessons were aligned to the curriculum provided within the Academy.
From September 2020, the Government required all schools to provide a curriculum that all pupils can access if even they are required to access it remotely. Concerns still remain surrounding parents’ ability to access online learning both in terms of access to technology as well as the ability to support their children during ‘academic hours’ but the Academy will strive to provide a comprehensive and considered curriculum.
Dylan Williams (2019) stated that
‘The real curriculum is the lived daily experience of young people in classrooms.’
In order to provide the best range of learning experiences, the Academy has had to consider not only how will a single pupil access the learning remotely as much as how a whole class or year group will access it. The Academy has recognised that during the continued uncertainty of the Coronavirus pandemic, certain elements of the curriculum may require adaptation in order to meet the remote learning provision.
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?
The communication of remote education depends upon the circumstances.
If the requirement for remote education is bubble/cohort or whole Academy based, learning requirements will be distributed on the first day of closure via ClassDojo for pupils Y1-6 and Tapestry for Early Years. Additional information to support parents will be communicated via ParentHub.
On a more individual basis, the Academy will establish the circumstances behind the requirement for remote education (for example, if a child is isolating due to them displaying symptoms and the Academy will ask parents to contact when the child is well enough to access the learning).
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, our planning is based upon Oaks Academy and White Rose curriculum but within the Academy, the pupils will not be watching the videos but rather taught by the teachers.
Links will be sent to the appropriate video lessons through ClassDojo.
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:
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Primary school-aged pupils |
3 hours a day for EYs and KS1 (for Early Years and Y1 please remember that much of this is practical/play-based learning) 1 hour – Mathematics 1 hour – English 1 hour – Wider Curriculum 4 hours a day for KS2 1 hour 15 minutes - Mathematics 1 hour 30 minutes - English including Guided Reading and Spellings 1 hour 15 minutes - Wider Curriculum |
Accessing remote education
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?
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Please see below the curriculum that the children will access including the sites that will be utilised.
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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:
The Academy has a number of Chromebooks that can be lent to families who are unable to access the online learning. In the event of more family applications than there are devices, they will be allocated on a priority basis dependent upon circumstances such as whether they access Free School Meals, age and number of the pupils within the family.
There is a lending agreement that parents are required to sign before a Chromebook is distributed.
At this time, the Academy is able to offer limited support with internet access through a SIM card with a finite but significant amount of data. Academy can also, on request, provide paper-based learning resources for those families without internet access. These resources can be collected from the Academy Administration office.
Work can be submitted through your child’s individual profile on ClassDojo. Paper-based learning can be returned to the office. Please note that work will be checked as soon as is possible and feedback given via telephone if required.
Please contact the office via enquiries@huntingtowerroad.lincs.sch.uk or ring 01476 564291 if you require further support with additional access remotely.
How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely:
We are aware that it is not always possible for families with working parents and more than one pupil per family to access live lessons at any given time and this has led to the Academy providing remote learning that is recorded. Messages and information will be shared on ClassDojo by the teachers and also, where possible some recorded audio/video sessions including book readings.
Recorded teaching will be provided by Oak National Academy, White Rose (NCETM for Early Years) and Read Write Inc (for Early Years to Year 2).
Links may also be made to local charities such as Inspire+ for physical 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?
The Academy expects all families who children are not attending face to face education to access remote education. The Academy has established an accessible platform with the use of ClassDojo to promote engagement as well as communication with parents. Parents will also have access to ParentHub, the Academy’s main communication system (any parent who doesn’t have the email aspect of this platform accesses messages through text).
ClassDojo allows for general information to be shared as well as parents to contact teachers separately. For Safeguarding concerns, please contact the main Administration office through the given contacts:
via enquiries@huntingtowerroad.lincs.sch.uk or ring 01476 564291
Whilst we would encourage parents to maintain routines for their children which foster good learning habits, we recognise that many parents will be working from home and, therefore, have provided a flexible approach to learning that can be accessed throughout the day. Teaching staff will monitor ClassDojo during the hours of 8.30am – 4.00pm.
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
ClassDojo will be monitored daily including the pupils’ individual portfolios. Communications from the main Administration Office will be forwarded daily.
Staff will monitor the portfolios and if work is not submitted for 2 academic days, contact will be made with parents to check there are not any issues preventing the pupil from accessing the learning.
ParentHub and telephone calls will be used to contact parents to provide additional communication. This may be made by the class teacher, phase or senior leader, pastoral staff or SENDCo.
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:
As stated above, the Academy uses many ways of providing feedback to children. In the event of remote education, there may be a link to an online survey or quiz as well as whole class feedback added to the Class story on ClassDojo. Individual feedback may be provided through the individual portfolios or submitted paper-based work.
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:
It is hoped that wherever possible, pupils with an Educational Health and Care Plan will be able to access face to face education.
In the event that a child with an EHC accesses learning remotely, the learning provided will be tailored to meet their specific needs. There will be more opportunities for the child and parents to interact remotely with the child’s teacher and adults with whom they have a relationship. This may be in the form of a general keeping in touch/feedback session but may also include more specialised teaching/learning sessions.
The Academy acknowledges that there are many teaching strategies that are age related. Younger pupils require a more practical/play based approach to learning and learning planned for remote learning reflects this without requiring specific resources.
For pupils on the SEND register, their progress will be monitored by the SENDCo including regular contact (telephone call/Teams call) as well as email/ClassDojo message. The SENDCo can liaise with other agencies on behalf of the family to ensure that the pupil receives the support their needs.
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?
In the case of self-isolating pupils, the response of the Academy is dependent upon the information provided by the parents. If the child is displaying symptoms and is unwell, the Academy checks in with parents as to the child’s well-being and whether the child is well enough to access learning remotely.
If a family member has been tested and the results are expected within a day, general learning support is provided in order to provide short-term remote learning.
If a child is isolating due to a positive case, the weekly overview that the class uses is sent to parents with any additional resources. Parents may request paper-based resources at this time but due to the delay in posting, they must be collected from the Academy. Parents can engage with their child’s teacher and class through ClassDojo or by contacting the main Administration office. Regular check in phone calls will be made to ensure that there are no issues in accessing the remote education.
When a pupil returns to face to face learning, any recorded remote learning (paper-based) will be marked and added to the pupils recording work files.