Home Learning
During this lockdown we have made provision for all students to receive online lessons for almost all of their subjects with their class teachers. Once a week we will also be hosting an online assembly and independent work to complete which is in line with the current curriculum for each subject will also be assigned for them to do. Our aim is to ensure that students are set both meaningful and ambitious work, whilst ensuring the wellbeing of our students.
The remote curriculum: what is taught to pupils at home
Remote online learning will take place as of Wednesday 6th January and every student has an individual timetable of the exact times when these will be taking place. This can be found in their calendar on Teams and follows the same process we have introduced since March 2020. Further information will be sent to parents and students on the expectations on surrounding work completed. Our online provision will follow the same curriculum wherever possible to allow students to make effective and appropriate progress.
On Teams you will be able to see the scheduled lessons and the individual assignments set for pupils to complete by their class teachers.
The combination of remote lessons and individual assignments mean that years 7 - 10 should be spending at least 5 hours a day learning and working. For students in exam years and 6th form the expectation is even higher and we have provided lessons and assignments for them to be working at least 6 hours per day.
Mr Adam Snell is our assistant principal in charge of teaching and learning at the Academy whose responsibility is to ensure the quality of remote education continues to be high.
If you have any concerns or questions regarding your child's remote education please contact your Head of Year in the first instance.
How will my child access online learning if they do not have digital access?
Every student that is without digital access has already been identified by our pastoral teams. Laptops and dongles (to enable internet connection) will be provided to identified students for the duration of this period. Students will be contacted to collect laptops and dongles over the course of this first week. Those students that do not immediately have access to this equipment will be sent workbooks for the first couple of days. If there is a concern regarding this, please see the final point on this page.
What are the school expectations about attending online lessons and how can parents/ carers support this?
The expectation is that all students attend every timetabled online lesson and complete all independent work set. Parents and carers can support with this by ensuring that this clear routine is established. The exception is when students are unwell and if this is the case, school should be contacted as normal so we can make a note of this. If a student is overwhelmed or struggling with work, it is vital that they contact the relevant class teacher or their Head of Year for further support. This can be done via their school email account or on Teams.
How will you check my child is engaging with the work?
To ensure that students are engaging with the work set effectively we will be tracking the attendance to all online lessons as registers will be taken for every lesson. The class teachers will also be tracking progress by checking your child’s completed assignments which should be submitted via Teams. This will inform individual teachers of future planning for their online lessons and allow for misconceptions within learning to be addressed. This will also give pastoral teams a holistic overview in terms of where we can provide further support for individual students and parents/ carers.
Each teacher is expected to complete a tracker to identify where work has been incomplete or to a low standard. This will then be monitored and followed up by our pastoral teams. We aim to work with parents and carers to ensure that students are motivated and clear on how to complete all work set. It also allows teachers to celebrate work that has been completed to a high standard.
How will you assess work within lessons?
Within each lesson teachers can engage in immediate and live feedback via verbal dialogue, or by using the ‘chat’ option on Teams. This allows for and immediate queries to be addressed. Other forms of feedback include automatically marked quizzes and teachers checking/ marking work that is submitted via Teams.
How will you support my child if they have SEND needs?
Our SEND team is working with students we believe will need further support and guidance during this period of online learning. Our SEND team will be in contact with relevant parents and carers.
What happens if my child is self-isolating?
Unless they are unwell they should engage with their individual remote timetable as normal.
How will you ensure the pastoral care of my child?
Every Wednesday during Tutor Time the pupils will have an assembly with their form tutor. During these periods we want our students to engage with their tutor, receive up to date announcements regarding their online learning and celebrate the excellent engagement and work produced by our students. Individual students that need further support throughout this time will also be contacted by their pastoral teams.
