Senior Leader with responsibility for the remote education provision:
Ms L Reay (Assistant Headteacher)
REMOTE LEARNING - INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
Your child’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. To help you support your child we have identified some key questions with our responses.
- What should my child expect from immediate remote learning in the first day or two of students being sent home or in the event of immediate school closures?
- All students in all year groups are provided with an interim curriculum document for all subjects to cover 1-2 days (enough time for test results). Full remote provision follows this (if required).
- Frequently updated resources on the school website linked to the school curriculum from teachers and the Oak National Academy https://www.benfield-school.co.uk/web/remote_learning
- Resources such as PowerPoints and worksheets are uploaded onto Teams by classroom teachers. Training resources for students and parents are on the school website on the following link: https://www.benfield-school.co.uk/web/microsoft_teams
- Free access to digital resources from MyMaths, GCSE Pod, Everlearner. Work on these platforms is signposted and set by class teachers. If your child has forgotten their password or email, they should contact: remotelearning@benfield.newcastle.sch.uk
- 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 for the majority of our subjects. We have, however, had to adapt our curriculum for practical based subjects where specialist equipment is not expected at home such as some science practical work and the technology subjects. We deliver resources we have available to students at home such as sketch books to support their learning.
- New learning is supported with lots of retrieval practice to build skills and confidence.
Routines for home learning
- Work for the day will be uploaded by 8.30am each morning.
- Work for all subjects apart from English and maths will be uploaded initially into the Year Group TEAMS where students will find lessons set with a wide range of activities to develop and extend their understanding.
- English and maths work will be located in the students’ specific subject class on TEAMS. In future all subjects will be uploaded in this way, once we have reviewed staff and students’ experience with the English and maths trial and will be in place for future remote learning.
- The current remote learning arrangements will be in place for January 2021 and reviewed in February 2021.
- Students should follow their normal timetable.
- From January 2021 students in Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 should follow the generic timetable for their year group. This is to provide as much subject specialist support as possible.
- Students should take an appropriate amount of time on each task and upload their work back into the student hand in folder for each subject on TEAMS.
- Students should ensure they take breaks at lunch and breaktime, just as they would in school.
- How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?
- We would encourage your child to follow their school curriculum as closely as possible. This means that they will stay on track with their learning. If your child has a question about their work in a specific subject, they can post a question to their teacher on the ‘chat’ function within Teams for that subject area. This should not be done after 5pm.
- Staff will arrange to respond to questions as soon as possible.
- During the National Lockdown in 2021, students should post their questions in the ‘posts’ function during the timetabled lesson time. The ‘posts’ are manned during this lockdown by subject specialists who can give support and advice.
- How will my child access any remote education you are providing?
- If my child does not have online or digital 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 have the following systems in place to support students affected in this way.
- We may be able to loan some electronic devices for the period of time the student will be working remotely.
- We have a small supply of internet dongles to support with internet access and some SIM cards from Vodaphone which can be loaned out to students.
- To request a loan device please contact remotelearning@benfield.newcastle.sch.uk and we will get back to you.
- If students are not completing the electronic work, they should take a photo of their work at the end of each lesson and upload it into the student hand in folder in the subject team on TEAMS. In the event of any initial difficulties they may email it to remotelearning@benfield.newcastle.sch.uk they must include their name, form class and subject the work is for. This will then be sent to the Head of Department to give to the class teacher for feedback.
- Paper work can also be dropped off at reception and placed in a cardboard box. Work should be clearly labelled with your child’s name, form class and the subject(s) the work is for. We will have spare envelopes and pens at reception in case you need them for your child’s work.
- Feedback may take longer due to quarantine restrictions.
- How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a range of approaches to teach your child remotely.
- Lesson by lesson resources such as PowerPoints or worksheets uploaded to Teams by class teachers.
- Partial or full voice recording over PowerPoints uploaded to Teams by teachers.
- Work via commercially available websites such as MyMaths, GCSE Pod, SENECA and Everlearner.
- Recorded lessons from the Oak National Academy linked to the school curriculum.
- KS4/5 text books and revision guides where appropriate.
- Reading books
- Project work, particularly at KS4 for history and geography where local studies need to be undertaken by students.
- What are your expectations for my child’s engagement and the support that we as parents/carers should provide at home?
- We would expect pupils to try to follow their school timetable as closely as possible as this will allow them to stay on track with their learning and ask questions via the chat function on Teams.
- As a parent/carer, we would appreciate your support in ensuring your child has a routine to help them manage their work e.g. making sure they are logged on and ready to start work at 9.05. Also, please encourage them to discuss their work with you; they may be more likely to tell you that they are struggling. If this is the case, please contact us at remotelearning@benfield.newcastle.sch.uk
- How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
- All students who are self-isolating or remote learning will receive a welfare/learning call check each week.
- Teachers have been asked to use quizzing via Microsoft Forms to check pupils’ understanding. The first questions require students to input their name and form class. This information goes directly to the class teacher and is then exported to a spreadsheet which is centrally stored.
- The AHT for Curriculum will cross reference the level of engagement from the quizzes and parents will be notified by phone call in the first instance. If we are unable to make contact, we will send a text. If you would like to update your contact details, please email admin@benfield.newcastle.sch.uk
- How will you assess my child’s work and progress?
Feedback can take many forms and will be in line with department marking policies. At Benfield we use:
- Quizzes from online platforms
- Whole class marking
- Exemplars /modelling (to help improve draft work)
- Comments on extended written pieces when uploaded electronically via Teams.
10. How will you support me with my child who needs additional adult support to access work remotely?
We recognise that some pupils, for example, some pupils with additional, educational needs or disabilities (SEND) may not be able to access work without adults at home. We acknowledge the difficulties that this places on families and we will work with parents and carers in the following ways:
- Priority access for devices and internet (if required).
- Training resources adapted by Deputy SENCO
- Microsoft 365 has an ‘immersive reader’ function to allow the text to be read out aloud.
- Appropriate and accessible work will be set which is well sequenced and linked to the school curriculum.
- Include as many voice-recorded / video lessons to support learning
- Weekly welfare and learning call from curriculum
- Weekly call from key worker in ARC or ARP provision within school
- Any child with an EHCP will continue to access therapies online (if possible).
11. If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will the work differ?
If your child is not in school due to self-isolating, their teachers will be aware due to the codes in the register.
- Lessons will be uploaded on a lesson-by-lesson basis by the class teacher for them to complete.
- This work will mirror the curriculum being taught in school and will be well sequenced and relevant.
- If pupils have difficulties with the work, the must contact their teacher via the chat function on Teams for that subject or they can contact remotelearning@benfield.newcastle.sch.uk and their queries will be answered.
- It is vital that work completed remotely is uploaded into the student work hand in folder for teachers.