Where a class, group or small number of pupils need to self-isolate, or there is a local lockdown requiring pupils to remain at home, we have the capacity to offer immediate remote education.
We aim to ensure consistency in the approach to remote learning for pupils who aren’t in school.
Remote Education Information to Parents
Online Classroom
To access your child’s online Google Classroom, click on the following link: https://classroom.google.com/h
If you do not know your child’s login details, these can be obtained from your child’s Class Teacher.
Other Online Applications
To login to other online applications (e.g. TT Rock Stars, Spelling Shed & Bug Club etc) using your child’s ‘magic badge’, click on the Wonde link: https://edu.wonde.com/login/A2001417120
If you do not have your child’s ‘magic badge’, this can be obtained from your child’s Class Teacher.
Working from Home Questionnaire
Please complete this form to provide the school with important information should your child either be self-isolating or in the event of a school closure.
Working from Home Questionnaire – https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdizi1svmQV0S09yKNiMzv3pd68h2x6XNeZgG_nZ4L29617GQ/viewform
Remote Learning Policy & Plan
Remote education support
Where a class, group or small number of pupils need to self-isolate, or there is a local lockdown requiring pupils to remain at home, we expect schools to have the capacity to offer immediate remote education. Schools are expected to consider how to continue to improve the quality of their existing offer and have a strong contingency plan in place for remote education provision by the end of September. This planning will be particularly important to support a scenario in which the logistical challenges of remote provision are greatest, for example where large numbers of pupils are required to remain at home.
In developing these contingency plans, we expect schools to:
- use a curriculum sequence that allows access to high-quality online and offline resources and teaching videos and that is linked to the school’s curriculum expectations
- give access to high quality remote education resources
- select the online tools that will be consistently used across the school in order to allow interaction, assessment and feedback and make sure staff are trained in their use
- provide printed resources, such as textbooks and workbooks, for pupils who do not have suitable online access
- recognise that younger pupils and some pupils with SEND may not be able to access remote education without adult support and so schools should work with families to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum
When teaching pupils remotely, we expect schools to:
- set assignments so that pupils have meaningful and ambitious work each day in a number of different subjects
- teach a planned and well-sequenced curriculum so that knowledge and skills are built incrementally, with a good level of clarity about what is intended to be taught and practised in each subject
- provide frequent, clear explanations of new content, delivered by a teacher in the school or through high-quality curriculum resources or videos
- gauge how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum, using questions and other suitable tasks and set a clear expectation on how regularly teachers will check work
- enable teachers to adjust the pace or difficulty of what is being taught in response to questions or assessments, including, where necessary, revising material or simplifying explanations to ensure pupils’ understanding
- plan a programme that is of equivalent length to the core teaching pupils would receive in school, ideally including daily contact with teachers
We expect schools to consider these expectations in relation to the pupils’ age, stage of development or special educational needs, for example where this would place significant demands on parents’ help or support. We expect schools to avoid an over-reliance on long-term projects or internet research activities.
DfE Guidance for full opening: Schools – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#res
School Policy & Plan
1. Aims
This remote learning policy for staff aims to:
- Ensure consistency in the approach to remote learning for pupils who aren’t in school;
- Set out expectations for all members of the school community with regards to remote learning;
- Provide appropriate guidelines for data protection.
2. Roles and responsibilities
2.1 Teachers
When providing remote learning, teachers must be available between 08:50am and 3:30pm.
If they’re unable to work for any reason during this time, for example due to sickness or caring for a dependent, they should report this using the normal absence procedure (see Key Staff Info. Live).
When providing remote learning, teachers are responsible for:
- Setting work:
- You will need to provide work for all children in your class;
- You should provide one piece of English work, one piece of maths work and one one other (science or non-core) piece of work each day;
- This work needs to be set by 9:30am;
- Work should be uploaded to Google Classroom;
- There should be consistency across year groups.
- Providing feedback on work:
- Pupils should complete work either in Google Classroom or upload evidence on to Google Classroom;
- Providing feedback on pupil work, within Google Classroom, will enable pupils to access it immediately;
- Feedback on completed work should be given by 4.00pm on the same day, where possible
- Keeping in touch with pupils who aren’t in school and their parents:
- You should aim to make contact with pupils and parents weekly;
- Teachers are not expected to reply to emails from pupils and parents outside of working hours;
- Teachers should discuss complaints or concerns shared by parents and pupils with their phase leader. For any safeguarding concerns, refer teachers to the section below
- Where children are failing to complete work, the Class Teacher should send a Dojo message or email to the pupil and parents. If this continues, the Class Teacher should telephone the parents. If the Class Teacher is unable to make contact (e.g. parents do not answer the telephone after two attempts) or, after contact is made, work is still not being completed, a member of the Pastoral Support Team will telephone. If the Pastoral Support Assistant is unable to make contact (e.g. parents do not answer the telephone) or, after contact is made, work is still not being completed, a letter will be sent. All initial contact will be that of encouragement and support.
- Attending virtual meetings with staff, parents and pupils:
- Dress code – see dress code policy;
- Locations – avoid areas with background noise, nothing inappropriate in the background.
If teachers are also working in school during this time, responsibilities above (including the need to provide remote learning) must continue. Capacity and delegation will be decided within phases.
Paper-based Work Packs
Where pupils do not have access to Google Classroom (either because they do not have a device, or because they do not have access to the internet) teachers will provide paper-based home-learning packs that can be collected from the school office. In all instances, in order to protect staff and each other, social distancing protocols must be followed when on school grounds. If pupils require access to any other resources to access this learning at home, e.g. pen, pencil, scissors, exercise books, etc. school will provide these where possible.
2.2 Teaching assistants
When assisting with remote learning, teaching assistants must be available during normal working hours.
If they’re unable to work for any reason during this time, for example due to sickness or caring for a dependent, they should report this using the normal absence procedure. (see Key Staff Info. Live).
When assisting with remote learning, teaching assistants are responsible for:
- Supporting pupils who aren’t in school with learning remotely:
- Which pupils they’ll need to support will be determined by the class teacher or phase leader;
- Support will be provided through Google Classroom.
- Attending virtual meetings with staff, parents and pupils:
- Dress code – see dress code policy;
- Locations – avoid areas with background noise, nothing inappropriate in the background.
If teaching assistants are also working in school during this time, they will not be required to support remote learning, whilst undertaking other work in school.
2.3 Subject leads
Alongside their teaching responsibilities, subject leads are responsible for:
- Considering whether any aspects of the subject curriculum need to change to accommodate remote learning
- Working with teachers teaching their subject remotely to make sure all work set is appropriate and consistent
- Working with other subject leads and senior leaders to make sure work set remotely across all subjects is appropriate and consistent, and deadlines are being set an appropriate distance away from each other
- Monitoring the remote work set by teachers in their subject
- Alerting teachers to resources they can use to teach their subject remotely
2.4 Senior leaders
Alongside any teaching responsibilities, senior leaders are responsible for:
- Co-ordinating the remote learning approach across the school. The Deputy Headteacher will lead on this;
- The Deputy Headteacher will assist pupils and parents with accessing the internet or devices;
- Monitoring the effectiveness of remote learning through regular meetings with teachers and subject leaders, reviewing work set or reaching out for feedback from pupils and parents;
- Monitoring the security of remote learning systems, including data protection and safeguarding considerations.
2.5 Designated Safeguarding Lead
Our Lead DSL is one of the Assistant Heads and part of the Senior Leadership Team, with responsibilities for SEND, Safeguarding and Pastoral/Behaviour. The Lead DSL is Miss Emma Mitchell. We also have 4 Deputy Safeguarding Leads who are: Mrs Laura Kettell (Pastoral Assistant), Mr Daniel Callaghan (Head Teacher) and Mrs Anna Ingamells (Assistant Head) and Miss Jo East (Pastoral Assistant).
Where school has a concern about a child, this concern will be passed to one of the above DSL’s who will make an informed decision as to the action needed for a disclosure. Where uncertainty may rise, DSL’s may discuss the concern together or seek advice from the lead DSL.
All DSL’s are responsible for referring all concerns or disclosures, where needed, to Lincolnshire Children’s services on 01522 782111. All staff, in reference to KCSIE, 2020, can make a direct referral to Children’s Services if either they believe that a child would be at immediate risk or direct harm if they didn’t or under the highly unlikely event that a DSL or the Headteacher was unavailable. Where possible, it is advised however that referrals are left to appropriately trained DSLs. Where staff are unsure whether to refer or record a concern, DSLs can offer guidance and advice to help make an appropriate decision.
If a pupil is already under a named social worker, the concern does not go to the central referral number and a direct conversation should happen with that child’s social worker or their team manager if unavailable.
2.6 IT staff
IT staff are responsible for:
- Fixing issues with systems used to set and collect work;
- Helping staff with any technical issues they’re experiencing;
- Reviewing the security of remote learning systems and flagging any data protection breaches to the data protection officer.
2.7 Pupils and parents
Staff can expect pupils learning remotely to:
- Be contactable during the school day;
- Complete work to the deadline set by teachers;
- Seek help if they need it, from teachers or teaching assistants;
- Alert teachers if they’re not able to complete work.
Staff can expect parents with children learning remotely to:
- Make the school aware if their child is sick or otherwise can’t complete work;
- Seek help from the school if they need it;
- Be respectful when making any complaints or concerns known to staff.
2.8 Governing board
The governing board is responsible for:
- Monitoring the school’s approach to providing remote learning to ensure education remains as high quality as possible;
- Ensuring that staff are certain that remote learning systems are appropriately secure, for both data protection and safeguarding reasons.
3. Who to contact
If staff have any questions or concerns about remote learning, they should contact the following individuals:
- Issues in setting work – talk to the relevant subject lead or SENDCo;
- Issues with behaviour – talk to the relevant Phase Leader;
- Issues with IT – talk to IT staff (Primary Tec) or the Deputy Headteacher;
- Issues with their own workload or wellbeing – talk to their line manager or an appropriate member of the SLT;
- Concerns about data protection – talk to the data protection officer;
- Concerns about safeguarding – talk to a DSL.
4. Data protection
4.1 Accessing personal data
When accessing personal data for remote learning purposes, all staff members will explain:
- How they can access the data (usually within Google Classroom);
- Which devices they should use to access the data.
4.2 Processing personal data
Staff members may need to collect and/or share personal data such as email addresses as part of the remote learning system. As long as this processing is necessary for the school’s official functions, individuals won’t need to give permission for this to happen.
However, staff are reminded to collect and/or share as little personal data as possible online.
4.3 Keeping devices secure
All staff members will take appropriate steps to ensure their devices remain secure. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Keeping the device password-protected – strong passwords with a combination of upper and lower-case letters and numbers and symbols;
- Making sure the device locks if left inactive for a period of time;
- Not sharing the device among family or friends;
- Installing antivirus and anti-spyware software where appropriate/necessary;
- Keeping operating systems up to date – always install the latest updates.
Policy Links
- Device loan agreement for pupils – [https://www.hartsholmeacademy.com/device-loan-agreement-for-pupils/]
- How to use our school’s Google Classroom – [https://www.hartsholmeacademy.com/how-to-use-our-schools-google-classroom/]
- Working from Home Questionnaire – [https://www.hartsholmeacademy.com/working-from-home-questionnaire/]
- E-Safety for Children – [https://www.hartsholmeacademy.com/e-safety-for-children/]