Supporting remote learning - advice for parents and carers

Periods of remote learning - whether due to school closure or individual self-isolation - can be challenging for students and their families alike. The guidance below is intended to assist parents and carers in supporting their children with remote learning and the challenges of isolation.

Communication

• Parents can contact the school via the relevant Key Stage Administrator as normal - contact can be made by telephone or email, and messages will be passed on to relevant staff.
• Students can contact their subject teachers during your lessons on Teams, or via SatchelOne within school hours. Neither students nor parents should be contacting staff directly by email unless they have been invited to do so.
• The results of Covid-19 lateral flow tests, and any positive PCR test results, must be reported to the school even while students are self-isolating - please use the Covid-19 test reporting form (details on the weekly parental email bulletin).

Supporting students' learning

Location and resources for remote learning

• Students would benefit from having a quiet space to learn at home where they are able to focus on their lessons, where possible. Students can use a virtual background for live lessons on Teams should they wish to do so, particularly if they are using a bedroom for remote learning.
• Where students do not have access to a quiet individual space for learning, it may be helpful for them to use a pair of headphones for live online lessons.
• Students who do not have access to a suitable device for online learning at home - for example a laptop or a tablet - can request to borrow one from the school, by emailing the relevant Key Stage Administrator. As and when laptops become available to the school to lend out, we will ensure that students who most need them are prioritised to borrow them.

Building a daily routine

• Students who are learning remotely should aim to follow their 'usual' school timetable, attending lessons on Teams or otherwise completing independent work during the appropriate lesson time. This will help students to keep a routine while they are working from home, which will be of benefit to their wellbeing as well as their school work.
• Students should be encouraged to take breaks at their 'usual' break and lunchtimes, and to spend some time away from their screen.
• More advice for students on building a routine and looking after their wellbeing while working remotely can be found on the 'Advice for Students' page.

Supporting students with their work

• There is no expectation for parents to act as teachers or to be directly involved in remote learning - if you are able to encourage your child to engage with their learning and provide them a space in which to do so, you are doing a great job.
• It is very helpful if parents/carers are able to talk to students about the work that they are completing remotely. A 5-minute 'check-in' at the start of each day to discuss what lessons are coming up that day, and what other work needs to be completed, can be a useful chance for reflection on the day ahead and to find out about any areas where your child might need additional support.
• Although most remote learning will take place through live lessons on Microsoft Teams, any independent work for students will be set using SatchelOne as usual. You can use your parent log-in to SatchelOne to monitor what work your child is being asked to complete and to support discussions with them about their work.
• The Education Endowment Foundation has created a bank of resources for parents to help with supporting remote learning, which may be useful should you wish to look into this further.

Students with additional needs

• In the case of a school closure, parents/carers of students who are currently receiving SEN Support or who have an EHCP will be contacted by the SENCO or the Student Guidance Team.  The aim of this contact will be to identify if any Special Educational Needs are currently, or may in the future, act as a barrier to remote learning, and to plan any additional support that might be needed. There will be ongoing regular contact between the school and home for those students with an EHCP.  Students receiving SEN Support or with an EHCP may be invited into school if this is necessary and appropriate and in line with current government guidelines.
• During either school closure or a period of self-isolation, if any parent/carer is concerned that their child is struggling to access remote learning and needs support with this then they should contact their child’s Head of Year via the relevant Key Stage Administrator to discuss any issues and plan appropriate support.

Online Safety

• During a period of remote learning, students will likely spend significantly more time online than they normally would. For advice regarding keeping your child safe online, please refer to our online safety advice area.

Safeguarding

• If you have a safeguarding concern during a period of remote learning, please call the school as usual on 0208 504 0611 and ask for the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Deputy Lead.
• Please refer to the Safeguarding page for further information, including our Safeguarding Policy.