Remote Learning

There are times when children cannot attend school but can continue to engage in learning outside of school. This may be, for example, due to occasional emergency closure; illness causing them to be at home or in hospital; or recovery from operations. Parents and families can help our children to learn at home or in hospital in many different ways. In this policy, we outline what we do to facilitate this so that we can help to support learning outside of school.

Aims:

• To offer high quality inclusive educational support for children working at home – due to periods where a child is unable to attend school, but is well enough to engage in learning.
• To create, build and retain strong links with class teachers, EHCAs and peers in class.
• To support parents with ideas, resources and activities
• To provide equipment and consumables to support learning
• To offer planning, timetabling suggestions and virtual lessons
• To provide support and work alongside parents to implement strategies and approaches for learning in the home setting

Who will support this:

• Class teachers and HLTAs, working with support from relevant DHT or AHT.
• EHCAs to support with resources – real and virtual via video – e.g.: stories, songs etc
• Families – to collaborate with school staff.

How we will achieve this:

• The approaches used will vary based on individual need.
• We can deliver live teaching (online)
• We provide a wide range of videos on our YouTube channel that all families can access at a time appropriate to them.
• We have a learning at home section on our website, with many links to resources and educational websites and activities.

Class teachers or HLTAs will work with specific children on long term, high quality home education.

All teachers and HLTAs will:

• Identify what support each family feel they need us to offer
• Identify what equipment is needed for home – e.g: laptops – in order to access learning
• Organise and resource packs for home with support from Admin and SLT
• Plan and deliver virtual sessions as required – MOVE, Sensory, Attention Autism, Story time etc
• Deliver one to one sessions to work with children and coach parents as required
• Coordinate learning activities and access to class activities with peers virtually as appropriate
• Coordinate activities with class teachers/HLTAs/Families
• Arrange simple timetables for individuals to run alongside class timetables
• Liaise with home
• Liaise with SaLT, physio etc as appropriate to support learning
• Liaise with hospital school teacher as appropriate

Family Wellbeing Coordinators will:

• Liaise with a family to offer support on a regular basis where a child is in hospital or has extended absense due to illness or operation recovery

Frequently Asked Questions

Remote teaching and study time each day - How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?

Each child at Newfield has different needs and we will work with families to ensure that we support what they need and can support at home.

There may be virtual lessons that the child can access, alongside the bespoke offer from class teachers based on family preference.

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

We will deliver any live sessions using Microsoft TEAMS – we will support families to access this.

We will audit what families need and will ensure that we are able to loan laptops/ipads to children as required.

We will support families to access the internet.

We will provide printed worksheets where appropriate if fmailies do not have access to printers.

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 know the challenges of supporting our children to learn at home and will work with you to ensure that you are supported to access what you feel is reasonable in your circumstance.

We will not dictate to you how much time you and your child spend formally ‘learning’, as we know that for our children, learning takes many forms and aspects of their day.

We will ask you for feedback on our home learning offer so that we can enhance and ensure that everyone is getting the best possible support for learning at home.

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

We will as always collaborate with you to monitor and review the progress of your child.

We will adapt the PLP targets with you, to continue to address long term outcomes from the EHCP in a meaningful manner, within the home setting.

We will liaise with therapists for guidance where necessary.

Home Education/Resource packs

Individual, bespoke packs, loaned to families.

The resources mirror what is used in class/virtual sessions in order for parents to engage children in the same way.

They reflect children’s individual needs, talents and interests where possible.

Examples that could be in a individual pack: Worksheets as appropriate Paints Glue stick Paper Craft resources Matching activities Space Blanket Sensory scarfs Slime Musical instrument (e.g.: bells) Book Light up toy Board game Sensory toys Switch – big mack, switch toy etc

Activity suggestions

• A no pressure example of a full day of school activities e.g.: 9am song time, 9.30am communication time (PECS, Makaton, Objects of Ref, Eye pointing), 10am snack time, 10.30am MOVE/ physio time / Movment braks/ sensory integration, 11.15am Sensory experience and so on. Some parents may struggle planning their day or may no understand the full educational benefits of the difference in activities.
• Virtual story/singing sessions - these may be with the class and teacher, or may be with teacher as a separate home-school group
• Individual virtual educational sessions with teacher weekly just to chat to the child and parents to check in with them. Each family would benefit from individual tailored support e.g.: ensuring that the child sees and hears familiar staff and children from school to maintain relationships and sense of belonging in school, for wellbeing and self esteem.
• Different sessions based on individual characteristics and needs of children
• Giving each family activities that they could submit and you could then group together to make one large art display or book or something e.g.: pictures or artwork of my day (7pm bath time, 8pm bedtime, 12pm lunchtime, 2pm painting) the photos could be emailed and the book could be made on the blog or emailed to the parents to print off. This would give the families a sense of not being alone, not forgotten, belonging.
• A reviewed and revised therapy ‘home programme’ (e.g.: focusing on the specific important activities that each child needs to do) physio/sensory integration etc
• Opportunity for a parent and pupil virtual coffee break/morning, to come together and share experiences – again promoting sense of belonging and reducing isolation.