Remote learning 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 learning where national or 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?
After the first lockdown, we carried out a survey of parents. The majority of parents asked for a combination of online learning and physical workbooks that could be completed. We have taken that into consideration when designing our Remote Learning provision.
Day One – Differentiated learning packs are available to be collected from the school. For those families unable to collect packs, arrangements will be made to deliver learning packs as soon as possible.
Day Two – Google Classroom will go live from Day Two and will be populated with work for the following week. Login details were sent out in December 2020 to pre-empt possible lockdown and to ensure parents had the means to access learning as soon as possible. New starters are given details of how to access Google Classroom and other sites used by the school.
Video Tutorials on how to access Google Classroom can be found on the school Facebook page. (Links below)
Desktop or laptop access
Android or iOS device access
Following the first few days of remote learning, 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. English and Maths is taught on a daily basis using a combination of learning packs, pre-recorded staff videos, and/or videos from sites such as Oak National Academy and BBC Bitesize. We cover the following curriculum areas in our remote learning provision:
- Maths
- English
- Phonics – a combination of staff videos and videos from Read Write Inc are used to support pupils
- Science – research based and more self-discovery. Whereas, learning in school would include more based around investigations and observations.
- Art/DT
- Music – the school have set up a Music Studio on Google Classroom
- RE
- PSHE/EPR and wellbeing
- Topic/Learning adventure
- PE – challenges are set on a weekly basis to be completed at home
- Thrive – activities that can be carried out by all children to enable them to look after their mental health and wellbeing
- Prayer, Worship and Assemblies
- Google Library – the school have set up a library of over 100 titles that can be accessed from home. Books are categorised under different genres.
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 learning (including remote teaching and independent work) will take pupils broadly the following number of hours each day:
EYFS/Key Stage 1 – 3 hours
Key Stage 2 – 4 hours
When we surveyed parents after the first lockdown, we had mixed reviews about the amount of work that was set on a weekly basis. Some said that too much was set, others that too little was set and others that we set just the right amount of work. We have communicated to parents what the core learning expectations are and ensured there is more than enough work so as to meet the needs of all our families.
Accessing remote education
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?
Google Classroom
Microsoft Teams
- Delivery of one-to-one interventions
- “Ask Mr G” – opportunity to talk with Mr Gallagher (Headteacher) about all things school related, from learning to a general chat about the weather!
- Whole school Celebration Assembly
- Class catch-up – daily opportunity to meet with the class teacher to discuss learning
TT Rockstars/Numbots
- Times-tables and number bond work – building up number and calculation fluency
Oak National Academy
BBC Bitesize
White Rose Maths
This list of sites is not exhaustive and may change as staff become familiar with different sites to support remote learning.
If my child does not have digital or online access at home, how will you support them to access remote learning?
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:
- We have secured laptops from the DfE, Bosco Trust and donation from the wider community. We have a finite number of resources and these will be distributed where the need is greatest. We have also informed families that Google Classroom can be accessed through both Xbox and Playstation.
- Where families are having to rely on tethering from mobile phones, we have secured data SIMS from Vodafone with 30GB of data for 90 days. Families are able to request a SIM to support access to online learning or a class teacher will request a SIM on their behalf.
- Differentiated learning packs – teachers provide a timetable of the work to be completed for the week ahead. This is posted to Class Dojo or can be emailed to parents. Learning packs are monitored and will be replaced when needed. For additional exercise books, stationery, or paper, families can contact the school at office@annecy.org.uk or on 01323894892.
- Parents are able to take a photo of the completed work and send it to the class teacher. The class teacher will then acknowledge receipt and provide feedback over the phone during one of their contact sessions.
How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely:
- Recorded teaching is our primary approach to delivering online learning. Teachers will create pre-recorded videos or they will direct families to Oak National Academy, BBC bitesize or other sites that have appropriate teaching for the learning that is due to take place that day.
- Differentiated workbooks from CGP have been sent home for Maths, Reading, Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling.
- Live teaching – this is used for the delivery of one-to-one interventions for phonics, maths, reading and writing. Live Thrive interventions also take place to monitor and support mental health and wellbeing
- Live drop ins with class teacher each afternoon to support learning and seek clarification about anything they have learned that day
- Daily live drop ins with Headteacher each morning to support learning and seek clarification about learning.
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?
- Unless they are ill children should access learning every day so there is an established routine. We recommend that children get up at the same time every day similar to that when they would be attending a full school day. However, we understand that with work and family commitments, this is not always possible – we trust that you will make the right choices for your child in enabling them to access their learning.
- Children should access learning daily completing tasks that are set by their class teachers. However, if you, and they, need a break and have a DUVET day – this is OK!
- As a school, we want to support pupils in accessing the 3 hours of learning in EYFS/Key Stage 1 and 4 hours of learning in Key Stage 2 daily. We understand that work/family commitments may mean that sticking to a school-day style timetable will not be possible. We are also aware that lockdown and social isolation brings about its own challenges.
- You might like to timetable the day focusing on work in the morning, with regular breaks, when children are fresh and receptive. This may not be possible for your family – this is OK!
- We expect that work will be completed at home and submitted for marking and feedback – there are various ways of submitting work, your child’s teacher will make you aware of these.
- We expect parents to judge when to take breaks from learning and to consider the mental health and wellbeing of their child.
- We expect parents to be open and honest with us and request support if and when needed.
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
- Remote learning is checked on a daily basis by teaching staff. Should concerns arise, parents will be contacted in the first instance by the class teacher. If concerns continue, a member of the senior leadership team will contact the family and discuss ways in which we can support learning from home.
- Weekly catch-up contact takes place for all families. If support is needed, this contact may be more frequent.
- Communication has always been a priority for Annecy and we will continue to reach out and support families as and when needed. We will attempt contact through: Class Dojo, email, text, phone call, Microsoft Teams or visits to the family home (PPE will be worn and social distancing observed). If we have been unable to make contact by these means and we have concern for the wellbeing of the family we will request a Welfare Check from the local police force.
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:
- Individual feedback via Google Classroom, Class Dojo or Microsoft Teams
- Google Forms and Quizzes which are marked automatically or by a member of staff
- Feedback is given during weekly catch-up time
- For live lessons – Interventions and Ask Mr G – feedback is given at the point of learning
Feedback is provided as and when work is completed.
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 learning?
We recognise that some pupils, for example some pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may not be able to access remote learning 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:
- Targeted one-to-one intervention
- Differentiated learning packs
- Regular catch-up calls to support families (focus on learning and wellbeing)
- Explanations of how parents/carers can support learning are provided for each year group. Instructions are provided in a manner that will enable families to access learning together – particularly for pupils with additional needs or those younger pupils in Reception and Year 1.
Remote learning for self-isolating pupils
Where individual pupils need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in school, how remote learning 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?
For children having to self-isolate for a short period of time, whilst waiting for covid test results, we will direct families to Oak National Academy, BBC Bitesize etc. We will inform parents of what is due to be covered in school on those days. Where possible/needed, we will provide worksheets that can be covered at home. For longer periods of self-isolation (10 days), we will use Oak National Academy and suggest lessons linked to the curriculum that is being delivered in the classroom. Curriculum maps are also available on the school website so that parents can see what learning is happening. Contact will be made with self-isolating families to provide support as and when needed, to ensure learning continues at home. We are conscious of the fact that learning at home when a member of the family has tested positive for covid can be very difficult – in some instances looking after a child’s mental health takes priority and the school will support that as much as possible through the use of Thrive interventions and providing reassurances to the family that we will ensure children catch-up on any missed learning.
