Remote Learning

What should my child expect from immediate remote education on the first day or two of pupils being sent home?

Students who have been asked to self isolate are already familiar with accessing school work remotely through Google Platforms. 

Waldegrave teachers upload all teaching resources to Google Classroom for students to access and complete the work set. 

Once work has been submitted via the virtual classroom teachers can check , assess, and give feedback.  Teachers will check the work submitted according to their learning plans for the classes in school. Teachers will follow the marking policy of that department.  Teachers will have assigned pieces of work or set assessments that they will plan to mark for each scheme of work.  Much of the work students undertake in school is not marked. When students complete the tasks set they are working through the skills knowledge and understanding related to the subject and testing it out for themselves. 

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?

The curriculum was adapted for teaching in 2020-21 so that we are able to teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate. For example, where the curriculum includes practical work, teacher demonstrations and content that may be inappropriate to teach without the safe  and supportive environment that is created in a live lesson. Learning plans are shared with parents so they are aware of topics being taught and how they can help. 

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 education (including remote teaching and independent work) will take pupils broadly the following number of hours each day:

Key Stage Three Students

We follow the normal school timetable for the day. Students will be set no more 30 minutes of independent work per hour, to give them time to either live stream, read text and watch videos that will cover the lesson content within the current lesson time of 1 hour and 5 minutes.  There will be two 30 minute breaks in the school day.

Key Stage 4 and 5 Students

We follow the normal school timetable for the day.  Students will be set approximately 45 minutes of independent work per hour, to give them time to either live stream, read text and watch videos that will cover the lesson content within the current lesson time of 1 hour and 5 minutes. Where students have a subject more than once in the week there will be a greater degree of flexibility in how teachers assign tasks compared with live streaming etc.   There will be two 30 minute breaks in the school day.

Accessing remote education

How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?

The digital platform we use is Google classroom. It can be accessed from a PC, Mac, Smartphone, Tablet or Chromebook. Students also have access to a wide range of resources on the Waldegrave Student VLE (virtual learning environment).  Students without suitable devices at home can arrange to borrow a Chromebook from school.  We don't encourage the use of Smartphones to complete classwork, please contact us if this is your only access to school learning.

If my child does not have digital or online 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 take the following approaches to support those pupils to access remote education:

To borrow a device from school and book a Google Chromebook please email us on info@waldegrave.org.uk

If you are having trouble accessing the Internet or do not have enough data, please contact us and we will either put you in touch with one of the government schemes to access free data, or we will arrange a dongle to allow your child to access the Internet through their Google Chromebook.

We will try not to ask students to print at home. We are aware that not all families have access to a printer.

If you continue to have difficulties accessing online learning please contact us and we will make alternative arrangements.

How will my child be taught remotely?

We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely:

Waldegrave School believes that we need a balanced approach to online learning and students should enjoy a range of different learning activities including activities that do not demand use of a screen.  Examples are:

• Live teaching (online lessons)

• Use the Student Virtual Learning Environment [VLE]

• Google slides and resources with embedded video etc

• Recorded teaching - we use Loom Video and YouTube Video

• Textbooks and reading books that pupils have at home

• Commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas, including video clips or sequences e.g. MyMaths, VocabExpress, BandLab, Kerboodle.

• Activities where students may be required to join in a physical activity, use physical resources, carry out an experiment etc.

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?

We expect students to:

Log in and submit the register at the start of each day telling us they are ready to learn before their first lesson. This register also provides the opportunity for students to ask to speak to an individual member of staff if they require further support.

Answer questions raised by the teacher online, in the stream in Google classroom and verbally when asked in a live streamed lesson.

Participate in online streamed lessons and where this is not possible to contact the teacher through Google classroom and explain to the teacher why they cannot attend.

Submit all work set for them by the end of the lesson if possible and at least by the end of the day, unless the teacher has set an extended deadline.

Parents can help their child with remote learning in the following ways

• Establish a routine that includes good sleep, regular healthy meals and time away from the screen.

• Put up a copy of your child’s timetable in a visible place. 

• Where possible help to create a work space for your child with paper and pens,  headphones and a device of their own [you can ask to borrow one from school].

• Work with your child to plan their day. Find out when they have breaks.  They may want time away from the screen with you, but they may also want to talk to their friends on the phone. Both are good. 

• Encouragement and interest in the work your child is doing is more important than direct involvement. There is no expectation for parents to act as teachers.

• Find opportunities to recognise and reward the efforts and achievements of your child. 

• Encourage time outdoors, exercise and family time, in line with Government guidance. 

• Try not to get into a power struggle with your child over their schoolwork. If your child is refusing to complete work, step back from the situation and allow them to work it out for themselves. 

• Try not to get frustrated with yourself if you don't understand what your child is learning. School curriculum has changed a lot over the years. 

• Make time for fun. 

 

How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?

At Waldegrave School we have appointed remote learning coordinators for each year group to help monitor engagement in learning.  Teachers will check daily students' engagement through online live streaming, conversation and questions in the stream or chat and submitted work. In the first instance teachers will contact students who are not participating or have not uploaded their work through the classroom. 

We recognise that not all families will be able to follow the school day exactly and therefore teachers will make judgements weekly based on a combination of these factors. Once a week they will contact the remote learning coordinator to raise concerns if a student continues to not engage in learning and we will contact home to let you know. Communication will come to parents via email. There is likely to be a time lag as we collect information over the week. 

If we contact you to inform you that your child is not responding to the teacher's communication and continues to fail to engage in learning, all the work set will be accessible in the classroom. Students have a TO DO list which they can access and show you the missed work. 

How will you assess my child’s work and progress?

Assessment will take place according to the learning plans for each subject and may include online tests, extended writing, completion of assignments, past papers, verbal contribution in live streaming etc. 

Teachers will mark key tasks in line with the learning plans and keep records of the progress of students over time. They will feedback progress made at key points in the learning plan, so that students know how well they are doing.

Research tells us that whole-class feedback via audio, video, summary slides or quizzes marked automatically via digital platforms are all valid and effective methods.. This feedback might include:

• Whole class feedback delivered through written guidance, pre-recorded audio or video, or live streamed sessions

• Individual comments posted on handed back work in Google classroom

• Individual one to one feedback delivered through either pre-recorded audio or video

• Peer and self assessment with guidance

• Individual praise through the use of house points and praise postcards.

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 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:

Waldegrave’s Inclusion team offer two kinds of support:  

Team one will be supporting students remotely, available for support, to answer questions and to adapt work for students.

Team two will be working on site with students who have an EHCP and whose parents have requested that they attend school.

Staff in both teams will continue to support the welfare needs of students with an SEND need and will be available for phone calls and Google meets with parents who would like to book a meeting for advice and support. 

Remote education for self-isolating pupils

Where individual pupils need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in school, how remote education 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?

Waldegrave School is committed to providing a well-sequenced curriculum with meaningful and ambitious work set each day in all subjects. 

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. For example, in subjects which have a lot of practical work, use teacher demonstrations and have complex activities that cannot be replicated at home.

Teachers will usually upload the resources at the start of the lesson, but where they are having to adapt activities and content covered, to better mirror the activities that were undertaken in the lesson on site, they may choose to upload the resources at the end of the lesson so the students have parallel experiences.