Homework – Infants (YR – Y2)
Initially, Infant homework is the sharing of reading books and learning to read and write ‘commonly used’ words via their reading trees.
Informal homework is encouraged as they get older such as bringing in items to share linked to our topics.
Homework – Juniors (Y3 – Y6)
In addition to spellings, reading and times tables, homework is given weekly. This varies in content but may be open-ended research or the completion of a relevant sheet of work. Homework is done in a homework book.
Extended Learning Tasks ( ELTs) are longer, more open-ended activities that children can interpret more personally. For example it might involve making a poster, booklet, film or model. The idea is that children take their interests and develop them further. Parents are welcome to join in and help on such tasks. They are usually set over 2 – 3 weeks which will include a holiday period.
Reading
We aim to hear children read regularly in school, but also ask that you read with your child and to your child every day whilst they are becoming fluent. Bedtime stories are actively encouraged! Every time your child reads, they should make a record of it in their reading record book. Please sign or comment in the book too.
Remote education 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 education where national or local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home. See final section for information on what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating.
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?
Remote education will be provided immediately via Teams (Seesaw for Reception). Your child will receive a full timetable of lessons mirroring the one they have in school.
All lessons include a pre-recorded video or live session with the class teacher who will teach concepts and model the independent learning task as they would normally do in school. (Where this is not possible, e.g. due to illness, a PowerPoint or online video from Oak Academy, BBC Bitesize or other quality source is provided).
Teachers use a variety of presentation methods – e.g. modelling on board, demonstrating with physical objects, using Apps such as Loom to show resources whilst still being visible to the chil-dren.
At least one ‘live’ session is held every day (with the exception of Reception who will have a weekly meeting on Teams). This can be class meetings which include Personal and Social opportunities along with feedback about learning, discussions about current affairs, activities that support remote learning). Upper KS2 teachers are doing live lessons for English (this varied depending on the task). All ‘live’ sessions are designed not to clash with other live sessions in the school to ease pressure on devices at home
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. Remote learning follows learning that would usually be carried out in school to ensure curriculum coverage and progression in knowledge and skills is maintained.
The teacher’s teaching inputs are designed to support children in being able to carry out tasks in-dependently. We recognise that this is more challenging for our youngest children.
Provision for children with SEND will be overseen and specifically monitored by the SENCO. If additional support is required and is not being provided, the SENCO will liaise with the class teacher in the first instance. The SENCO will offer advice and guidance and will ensure that additional support is put in place.
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 1 3 hours per day
Key Stage 2 4 hours per day
Accessing remote education
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?
Home learning will be accessed through Microsoft Teams (Seesaw in Reception).
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:
We have worked to ensure our children have adequate IT and internet access:
• Laptops from school issued to key families without sufficient devices – 5.1.21
• Audit of IT equipment carried out across the school – 11.1.21
• Laptops issued to those in priority order – 13.1.21
• Priority given to those without, those working from phones, those sharing devices.
• Third wave of laptops to be issued from DfE when they arrive – late January
• Virgin Money Giving Appeal launched for additional IT equipment 21.1.21
• Plans in place to spend additional money from LA – 13.1.21
If any of our families are struggling with their IT provision, they are encouraged to contact the School Office in the usual way.
How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely:
We recognise that children in school have the benefits of rich and varied learning experiences, we aim to replicate this as much as possible through our online teaching methods.
• At least one ‘live’ session a day
• Through demonstration / modelling by their class teacher
• Through the use of high-quality videos and learning resources, this may be through the use of websites and online resources that the teacher will reference.
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 shared our Home Learning Agreement with parents at the beginning of lockdown outlining our expectations.
- All children are expected to upload their work at the end of the day. Where this is not possible (e.g. if they have missed a day due to illness) they should upload as soon as possible. Assignment deadlines are clearly marked.
- Children working in school may have their work uploaded in bulk by the TA to the class teacher at the end of the day.
- Feedback will be given in a variety of ways – through answer sheets for children to check their answers, through whole class feedback, individually marked pieces, during a ‘live’ session to the whole class.
- Feedback will be ‘on the spot’ where this is possible for learners in school.
- Feedback will be given before the next lesson or at the start of the next lesson and as quickly after the task is completed as possible.
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
We have systems are in place to monitor engagement. Where there is a lack of engagement:
• Calls will be made home to establish if there is a reason for the lack of engagement, this will be thoroughly explored and support and guidance will be put in place to resolve any issues.
• The Principal will follow up any children identified on our list not routinely submitting work and explain to parents that if work is not completed, they may need to attend school (this is a last resort as we want to minimise risk to keyworker children and staff in school).
• Class teachers to call parents of children who have not been seen on ‘live’ calls for two days to enquire about their wellbeing and explore reasons for lack of engagement. Where there is no answer, the Principal will follow up with calls, emails and if necessary, will carry out a home visit with another member of staff.
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:
Feedback will be given in a variety of ways – through answer sheets for children to check their an-swers, through whole class feedback, individually marked pieces, during a ‘live’ session to the whole class.
Feedback will be ‘on the spot’ where this is possible for learners in school.
Feedback will be given before the next lesson or at the start of the next lesson and as quickly after the task is completed as possible
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:
Our SENCo has a weekly list of families to call in order to offer support. We aim to support our children with additional needs on a very bespoke, 1:1 basis in order to meet their individual needs. Those children with EHC plans will work in school where possible.
Parents of children with additional needs are encouraged to make contact with school immediately if they are struggling at home.
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?
If a child who usually attends school as the child of a Keyworker or who has been offered a place in school needs to self-isolate, they will access their home-learning as outlined above, If they need IT equipment in order to work at home, this will be provided by school wherever possible.
In the unlikely event this was not possible to offer a laptop / iPad, paper copies of learning will be provided and delivered daily.
