Remote Learning

Remote education provision: information for parents

This information is intended to provide clarity and to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education where national or local restrictions require students to remain at home.

The remote curriculum: what is taught to pupils at home

All staff are required to upload work that allows students to access what they would be doing if they were within the classroom. Lessons uploaded all have an audio component, which could be the member of staff providing explanations or a video which provides detail on the topic been covered within a lesson. We teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible, however, we may need to make some adaptations in some subjects. For example, within Science lessons, there may be video clips or recordings of specific Science experiments which will help pupils to understand concepts been taught as they will not have access to equipment which would allow them to do this themselves.

Remote teaching and study time each day

How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?

All students in key stage 3 (school years 7, 8 & 9) and key stage 4 (years 10 & 11) will follow their usual school timetable, and will therefore be provided with 5 hours of remote lessons per day. All students in key stage 5 (years 12 & 13) should also follow their usual school timetable, and should complete independent study when they are not in a timetabled lesson.

Accessing remote education

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

All students at Grace Academy Darlaston have a log in which enables them to access all of the school IT systems and programs. All remote learning lessons and resources are uploaded to the Microsoft Teams platform, which can be accessed by logging on using the students usual school log in details. All lessons and resources for each students’ timetable will be available by the end of the day prior to when the lesson is scheduled to take place. For example, if they should have had English period 5, then this lesson would be available for download from 3pm the previous day. If you require further help with how to access work for students’ lessons, please see the how to links below:

Parent and Student Guide to using Microsoft Teams
School Laptop Login Guide- Using Microsoft Teams

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. If your child is struggling to access the work set by staff due to not having appropriate IT equipment or internet access, please contact us here at the school. Wherever possible, we will allocate laptops when they are available, or if this is not an option at that time, we will invite students into school to use our IT facilities. All work completed by students each day should be emailed to their usual subject teacher who can then provide feedback at regular intervals to support your child’s progress.

How will my child be taught remotely?

All students are able to access all the resources required to complete their lessons through the Microsoft Teams platform. Where possible, students may also be able to attend “live” streamed lessons. When this is being delivered by staff to class groups, invites will be sent to the students’ school email address to confirm attendance. This method is more commonly used with key stage 4 & 5 class groups; however, some staff may be able to deliver live lessons to other year groups. Where live lessons are not available, all uploaded resources for each student will have an audio aspect, whether this be a voice recording from the student’s teacher, or a video which will help explain the content being delivered. Within every Teams class folder, there is an instruction sheet which provides details on what lessons should be completed when, and where the resources can be found.

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 any students are required to self-isolate but are well enough to participate in lessons, or are completing lessons at home due to national lockdown restrictions, pupils will be expected to engage with learning and complete work for their timetabled lessons remotely. All students are able to access all the resources required to complete their lessons through the Microsoft Teams platform.

It is important that students have as much support as possible while they are working from home, and there are a number of ways that parents and carers can provide support to help in these challenging times.

Firstly, set up a working space where pupils can work away from distractions. This helps students to get themselves in the correct frame of mind to work, and should help with forming good work habits. Constructing a schedule with your child can help provide structure, and give some ownership of the work they are responsible for completing. Its important to include rest time and breaks to allow students time to process what they have been working on, and allow for movement breaks as sitting for extended periods of time can lead to pupils switching off and not focusing as fully on their work as much possible. If you or your child are struggling with accessing work or understanding the content, staff are available in school on phone or email between 8.40am- 3pm Monday- Friday. There are also a range of websites including the Oak National Academy, BBC Bitesize and GCSEPod for key stage 4 pupils which can provide additional support with learning.

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

Students are expected to send all completed work to their subject teachers email address using their own school email account. Staff will expect work to be completed by students at the times they would usually have their lesson within school, and this is tracked and monitored by teachers to identify pupils who are not engaging. Where this is the case, parents and carers will be contacted, and reasons for non-engagement can be discussed and support can be put into place where necessary.

How will you assess my child’s work and progress?

Assessment during times of remote learning may take a number of approaches such as mini tests, assessed questions or full test papers, and students will be given full instructions on how they will be expected to complete these if they are working from home. Feedback will be provided to students in a timely manner, and pupils should receive written feedback by email, or from another platform such as GCSEPod where this has been used at least once for every four pieces of work submitted to their teacher. All work submitted should be emailed to their usual class teacher unless they are told otherwise.

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 those 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 these students. Pupils who are looked after, have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)or are considered vulnerable will be contacted by phone by a member of staff from the Academy to encourage them to attend school where support can be put in place. Where students eligible to attend choose not to, we will endeavor ensure students are safe and well through weekly phone calls, and identify any issues we may be able to provide support with remotely.

Remote education for self-isolating pupils

If any students are required to self-isolate but are well enough to participate in lessons, pupils will be expected to engage with learning and complete work for their timetabled lessons remotely. All students are able to access all the resources required to complete their lessons through the Microsoft Teams platform. All lessons uploaded to Microsoft Teams will be the same or as similar as possible to those delivered within the classroom, and all lessons will have an audio component in the form of a video or audio from a member of teaching staff included to help with pupils’ knowledge and understanding. We will deliver the same curriculum content remotely as we would deliver within the classroom, and work set will be meaningful and ambitious to allow students to reach their potential.