Remote Learning

Background

“Where a class, group or small number of pupils need to self-isolate, or there is a local lockdown requiring pupils to remain at home, we expect schools to have the capacity to offer immediate remote education. Schools are expected to consider how to continue to improve the quality of their existing offer and have a strong contingency plan in place for remote education provision by the end of September.” (DfE Guidance for Full Opening August 2020).

Aims

This remote learning policy for staff aims to:

• Ensure consistency in the approach to remote learning for pupils who aren’t in school
• Set out expectations for all members of the school community with regards to remote learning
• Provide appropriate guidelines for data protection

Definitions

• Remote education: a broad term encompassing any learning that happens outside of the classroom, with the teacher not present in the same location as the pupils.
• Digital remote education: often known as online learning, this is remote learning delivered through digital technologies.
• Blended learning: a mix of face-to-face and remote methods. An example would be the ‘flipped classroom’, where main input happens remotely (for example through video), while practice and tutoring happen in class.
• Synchronous education: this is live; asynchronous education is when the material is prepared by the teacher and accessed by the pupil at a later date.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Lead Practitioners (Ms Emma Johnson to become the Virtual Leader, including monitoring of the quality of provision)
• Co-ordinating the remote learning approach across the Trust.
• Ensure staff training for remote learning has taken place, a ‘how to’ video to train children in how to use Microsoft Teams and also a crib sheet for parents.
• Monitoring the effectiveness of remote learning –such as through regular meetings with teachers, reviewing work set or reaching out for feedback from pupils and parents
• Headteacher (Assemblies and after school provision)
• SENCOs (to work with those families of pupils with SEND who need alternative provision so they continue to receive a broad and ambitious curriculum, including ensuring the requirements of the EHCP are met)
• Class Teachers (a blend of remote learning and in class learning to their own class
• Designated Safeguarding Lead (Mrs Emma Johnson)
• Teaching support Assistants (in class support, SEN interventions either in class or remotely)

Remote Learning Expectations

• When providing remote learning for pupils,  classes, teachers must be available Monday- Friday between 8:30am and 4:00pm and Thursday Key Stage 2 and Friday Key Stage 1 8:30am -12:30pm (on these days teachers will take their PPA). If they are unable to work for any reason during this time, they should report this using the normal absence procedure:
• Contact headteacher by 7:00am who will contact Virtual Leader / Senior Leaders.
• When providing remote learning, teachers (along with admin staff, senior leaders, and DSLs) are responsible for Attendance
• Remote Education (DfE Guidance) “If a pupil is not attending school due to circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19), we expect schools to be able to immediately offer them access to remote education.’
• The Live TEAMs excel document for registering pupils must be completed by 9.30am, with any children that are not online or in the classroom, receiving a phone call from the designated member of staff in the key stage.
• Learning must be provided by teachers for all children in their own class, including those children with SEND.
• In Early years, the teacher will deliver a face-to-face live teaching welcome session, daily learning, linked to the phonics, reading, writing, maths and story time.  See timetables below.
• Teachers in Key Stage 1 and 2 will provide English (Reading, SPaG, Writing), Maths (Linked Recall Arithmetic or Numbers and Patterns and Branching Out Maths) and Wider Reading Skills along with Wider Curriculum activities each day. This will be digital remote learning through a blended approach including both synchronous and asynchronous education.
• All learning activities for the week ahead must be scheduled within the TEAMS in advance. In case of illness, it is suggested that all weekly learning overviews are planned and uploaded onto TEAMS teachers by Monday 9am.
• If a lesson is not able to be delivered by the class teacher, remotely due to absence, then work will be provided via class dojo / school website or a member of SLT will deliver the learning remotely.
• Teachers will use a curriculum sequence that allows access to high quality resources that is linked to the school’s curriculum expectations, medium term planning and assessment data.
• Microsoft Teams will be used to teach the classes with a ‘live’ stream (see Safeguarding section). Lesson inputs will include pauses for interactive / independent learning and thinking time, as would be natural in classroom learning.
• Screen sharing may be used when synchronous teaching. 
• Daily Learning Power points, resources must be uploaded each morning onto class dojo and our school website for the pupils to access.
• All learning must be differentiated using the leaves of learning.
• Guidance from teachers will provide a variety of methods for children to record their learning (for example, typing into a document, taking a photograph of learning, videos etc) The teacher will choose which method is appropriate for the learning and will provide clear instructions.
• It is important that teachers / TSAs ensure they are the last person to leave a TEAMs call at the end of the session.
• If video clips are used, teachers must check that the video is able to be accessed by children at home.
• For those children with an EHCP, or children with SEN, class teachers and the SENCO will direct TAs to maintain contact with these children and provide interventions via TEAMs in an afternoon as per their Individual Learning Plan.
• To ensure consistency across the school, agreed teaching slide formats must be used.
• If teachers are not in school and therefore teaching from home, they will need to ensure that the dress code is followed, and an appropriate area is used to teach, where there will not be interruptions.
• When providing distance learning for the whole class/bubble is in place, the TA will assist with remote learning.
• Teachers will direct TAs to support with remote learning. Tasks may include:
•  Phone calls to SEN children with alternative provision to ensure work is appropriate.
• 1:1 afternoon reading and phonics instruction via Teams
• Phone calls to children to support with pastoral care
• Contacting children that are not completing work to address any barriers to this.
•  Attending virtual meetings with teachers, parents and pupils

Providing feedback:

• Children will be asked to submit learning tasks via class dojo portfolio for teachers to check, mark and / or give feedback.
• Teachers will be expected to provide feedback, ensuring that all marking and feedback links to Learning Objectives and expectations set out in the policy.
• After teachers have completed their live input, they will then be available for children to request any additional learning support or follow up.  
• Teachers will adjust the pace or difficulty of what is being taught in response to questions and assessments, including, where necessary, revising material or simplifying explanations to ensure pupil’s understanding.