{SECTION_MENU}Coronavirus (COVID-19) Remote education provision:
This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education 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. However the experiences that we have learned during the first lockdown should mean that the transition is seamless.
What should my child expect from immediate remote education in the first day or two of pupils being sent home?
All pupils in KS1 and KS2 (Year groups from Years 1 to 6) have a Teams log in. They will be able to access live lessons. In KS2 classes offer live lessons in maths and english in the morning and work is set for all other subjects in the afternoon. Some, on occasion will be live, for example a cookery lesson or a french lesson. In KS1 maths is taught live as well as phonics for Year 1 and reading for Year 2.
On the Teams class page there will be a section called 'assignments' where pupils will be able to access their work.
The school has introduced See Saw for the reception class as we feel it is a much easier platform for pupils to navigate.
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 wherever possible and where it is appropriate to do so. We continue to use maths mastery for maths and use the same long term plans that we would have used in school. We have adapted the english plans and have, where appropriate, switched genres to better suit the needs of remote learning. However the same curriculum, as planned, is still being covered. We have needed to make some adaptations in some subjects, For example in subjects like PE and art, where it is not practicable to offer the same learning that we could offer in school.
How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?
Pupils will have live lessons in the morning which will be an hour long. Work will be set during this time and the expectation will be that they are working for a minimum of two hours. In the afternoon topic assignments will be set which will take between 1 to 2 hours.
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?
Pupils will need access to a laptop, tablet or phone and the internet. You do not have to download the Teams App but can access the work via the browser.
If my child does not have digital or online access at home, how will you support them to access remote education?
If you are struggling to support your child with their remote learning please let us know. We have laptops in school that we can lend to pupils if they need one. Please contact the school on admin@lavenham.suffolk.sch.uk for further information. We have made every effort to ensure that your child does not need any printed material to complete their work. If, however, it would help aid their work at home to have work printed please contact the admin email address. We will help wherever we can.
How will my child be taught remotely?
For the live lessons the teachers will welcome the children in to the lesson and it will operate in much the same way that it does in class. The TA is present in every live lesson for support, for both the teacher and the pupils, and helps with the marking and feedback. We try to ensure that work is marked quickly.
Some lessons, for example in English in KS1, pupils access a PPT that has a voice over from the class teacher. Work is available in the assignments tab and the class teacher and / or the TA are available for support should they be needed.
Across the school we use Maths Mastery and use White Rose Maths, Maths Shed and the NCTEM materials to support this. We also use Times Tables Rock Stars. In English we use the pedagogy developed by Jane Considine and use the materials published by her to support our learning. We use a range of other providers to help support in other subjects. These include Oak Academy for PE, Cornerstones for History, Geography, Art, D & T, TWINKL for RE and PHSE and Kapow for Computing and PHSE. Staff have various different options available to them and create a bespoke curriculum that suits the needs of their own class.
What are your expectations for my child’s engagement and the support that we as parents and carers should provide at home?
We expect ALL pupils to engage in their home learning. In the mornings, for the live lessons, pupils should be able to access and complete these without the support of parents. Lessons in the afternoon may need some level of support. Maths and English are key to any pupils success in school and it is vital that pupils are ready for their online lessons in the mornings.
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
The class teacher will be checking every day! If we notice a pattern of absence the class teacher will alert the head teacher. He will contact parents to see if the school can offer any further support to help ensure their child's engagement with their learning.
How will you assess my child’s work and progress?
Staff will be continually evaluating pupils work in much the same way that they do in class. Staff use a range of tools to track pupils from hot and cold tasks to the use of SOLO for the lesson success criteria. We hope that we will be in school again before the end of term when we will carry out the usual termly assessments.
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 some 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 those pupils in the following ways:
1) Continued liaison with the SENDCO during the lockdown period
2) Working on a daily basis with the class teacher to ensure that work set is appropriate and attainable.
3) Ensuring outside agencies, for example CISS, DOT and SENDIAT, continue to work with pupils during the lock down period.
Remote education for self-isolating pupils
We recognise that when we return to school there may still be a need for pupils to self isolate and therefore miss important learning time. We set up a system in September 2020 to support pupils who fall into this category. Work for remote learning is put n the Teams page every week and the TA will welcome any pupil, who is self isolating, into their daily learning and monitor their work and attendance. The class teacher is available for support at certain times of the school day. Live lesson will also be incorporated where appropriate and pupils, in the past have been able to access small group work via a laptop with their group who were all in the classroom at the time.
Keeping children safe online
We are proud of the remote learning offer that we have in place during the lockdown. We will continue to have remote learning in place for pupils who will need to self isolate in the future. As a result on this new emphasis on remote learning the need for good online safety is even more important. We ensure that we follow the DfE guidance regarding safeguarding, remote learning and online safety:
Keeping Children safe in Education
Safeguarding and remote education during coronavirus (COVID-19)Remote education is a relatively new experience for both staff and pupils, so it’s important that we understand how to approach safeguarding procedures online. Guidance on teaching online safety in schools provides information to help us ensure our pupils understand how to stay safe and behave online.
School contact with parents and carers during this time will also be used to reinforce the importance of children staying safe online. It’s especially important for our parents and carers to be aware of what their children are being asked to do, including:
• sites they will be asked to use
• school staff their child will interact with
We emphasise the importance of a safe online environment and encourage our parents and carers to set age-appropriate parental controls on digital devices and use internet filters to block malicious websites. We signpost the following resources to support parents and carers to keep their children safe online:
• Thinkuknow provides advice from the National Crime Agency (NCA) on staying safe online
• Parent info is a collaboration between Parentzone and the NCA providing support and guidance for parents from leading experts and organisations
• Childnet offers a toolkit to support parents and carers of children of any age to start discussions about their online life, to set boundaries around online behaviour and technology use, and to find out where to get more help and support
• Internet matters provides age-specific online safety checklists, guides on how to set parental controls on a range of devices, and a host of practical tips to help children get the most out of their digital world
• London Grid for Learning has support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online, including tips to keep primary aged children safe online
• Net-aware has support for parents and carers from the NSPCC, including a guide to social networks, apps and games
• Let’s Talk About It has advice for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation
• UK Safer Internet Centre has tips, advice, guides and other resources to help keep children safe online, including parental controls offered by home internet providers and safety tools on social networks and other online services
Reporting concerns
We have clear reporting routes in place so that children, teachers, parents and carers can raise any safeguarding concerns, including online safety concerns. We are signposting below practical online support that is available for reporting harmful or upsetting content as well as bullying and online abuse:
Harmful or upsetting content
Get support by:
• reporting harmful online content to the UK Safer Internet Centre
• getting government advice and trusted resources from Educate Against Hate on safeguarding from radicalisation, building resilience to extremism, and promoting shared values.
Bullying or abuse online
You can:
• get advice on reporting online abuse from the National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection command
• get advice and support from Anti-Bullying Alliance for children who are being bullied
We know that we can access the free Professionals Online Safety Helpline which supports the online safeguarding of both children and professionals. Call 0345 606 1499 The helpline is open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
Communicating with parents, carers and pupils
Where education is now having to take place remotely it’s important for schools, teachers and pupils to maintain professional practice as much as possible. When communicating online with parents and pupils, we try to:
• communicate within school hours as much as possible (or hours agreed with the school to suit the needs of staff)
• communicate through the school channels approved by the senior leadership team
• use school email accounts (not personal ones)
• use school devices over personal devices wherever possible
• advise teachers not to share personal information
Virtual lessons and live streaming.
When we have to use live streaming or pre-recorded videos in order to deliver remote education, we follow relevant guidance such as guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) which includes advice on live, online teaching. Teaching from home is different to teaching in the classroom. Our teachers try to find a quiet or private room or area to talk to pupils, parents or carers. When broadcasting a lesson or making a recording, they consider what will be in the background.
Providing pastoral care remotely
Helping parents, carers and pupils to make a weekly plan or structure that includes time for education, playing and relaxing is important to reduce stress and anxiety for families. Routine can give children and young people an increased feeling of safety in the context of uncertainty. We may consider whether one-to-one sessions could be appropriate in some circumstances. For example, to provide pastoral care or provide support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This will be discussed and approved by the senior leadership team to assess any risks. There may be helpful solutions, such as including a parent or additional staff member in the call.
Personal data and GDPR
We continue to follow the guidance outlined in the data protection: toolkit for schools when managing personal data and may need to consider:
• taking care not to share contact details when emailing multiple people
• being careful when sharing usernames and other personal data for access to online resources
• providing access to school data systems safely