Remote Learning

Remote Education Provision

Updated: December 2021

Our Remote Learning Policy can be viewed here:

Oriel Academy Remote Learning Policy 2021 22

A full explanation of the Remote Learning Offer outlined below can be viewed here:

Oriel Academy Remote Learning Offer 2021-22

intent

Our Remote Education Offer is intended to provide clarity and transparency for pupils and parents/carers about what to expect from the remote education provided by Oriel Academy.

Our programme of remote learning is broad, meaningful and ambitious; we recognise the importance of maintaining high expectations of all stakeholders and seek to ensure that all pupils have access to the learning resources and support they need to succeed. Our offer continues to evolve and is based upon the following pillars:

Planned, well-sequenced lessons linked to our school curriculum and vision that build on prior learning;
Use of high quality remote education resources, including teaching videos, live/recorded sessions and differentiated paper packs/resources to help facilitate new learning;
Online tools that are consistently used across the school in order to allow teacher/pupil interaction, meaningful assessment and on-going feedback.

Online Platforms

In order to deliver consistency of provision, we provide the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible; however, we continue to make adaptations in some subjects when appropriate. (For example, PE may take the form of a suggested work-out with emphasis on a particular skill, rather than a PE session in-line with what the school typically provides.)

A weekly timetable is provided to guide that week’s learning; our teachers use the Google Classroom stream to facilitate and support remote learning and any resources that accompany the online/live/recorded lessons can be accessed via Google Classroom. Children can submit their remote learning tasks directly onto Google Classroom via scheduled assignments. If you have any questions or comments relating to this, please contact the school office: office@orielaspirations.org.

In order to satisfy safeguarding concerns, it is important to communicate the following protocols (that have been produced after consultation with best practice guidance issued by the Department for Education and Ofsted) for all our pupils/parents/carers to adhere to:

All students will join live sessions with their cameras disabled and microphones muted;
Live sessions may not be recorded by anyone other than designated staff for the purpose of uploading to Google Classroom;
The chat function must only be used by pupils to ask the teacher relevant or important questions regarding session content;
Parents/carers may not participate in or communicate via these sessions, but should instead use the appropriate and usual channels to contact teaching staff.

(Any breaches of this protocol by students is likely to result in sanctions being applied in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy.)

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:

Electronic device loan (any parents/carers who do not have an electronic device, can contact the school office to request a device loan; we have a limited number of these devices and these will be issued firstly to pupils identified as vulnerable- the device will need to be signed for and must be returned to school when we are fully open).
Paper packs are available from the school offices in instances where access to devices is limited; packs are collected and returned weekly, with feedback given on the previous week’s pack courtesy of email/phone calls

Curriculum

We provide the same curriculum content remotely as we do in school; all National Curriculum subjects are covered as we deliver a well-planned, sequenced provision that builds upon pupils’ knowledge and skills in each subject, facilitating progression for all.

Each week, a timetable of remote learning expectations for each year group will be uploaded to Google Classroom and communicated to parents/carers via email.

The expected daily workload is as follows: EYFS 2-3hrs; KS1 3hrs; KS2 4hrs.

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

Live sessions
Recorded sessions
Independent tasks
Resources
Feedback
Printed paper packs

EYFS – 3 hrs

(Including) LITERACY (two 30 mins sessions); MATHS (two 30 mins sessions); READING (15 mins); NO LIMITS/TOPIC (45 mins)

(Further phonics, reading and games are added regularly throughout the week.)

An example EYFS timetable:

KS1 – 3 hrs minimum

(Including) ENGLISH (1hr); MATHS (2hrs); NO LIMITS/TOPIC (1hr); READING (30 mins); MATHS MEETING (when needed) (15 mins); STAFF STORY (15 mins)

(Further Reading and Maths games are added regularly throughout the week.)

An example KS1 timetable:

KS2 – 4 hrs minimum

(Including) DAILY STARTER (30 mins); ENGLISH (1hr); MATHS (1hr); NO LIMITS/TOPIC (1hr); READING (30 mins); MATHS MEETING (when needed) (15 mins); STAFF STORY (15 mins)

(Further Reading and Maths games are added regularly throughout the week.)

An example KS2 timetable:

(If your child is involved in a remote intervention session, these will take between 20 and 30 minutes depending upon need and frequency; such sessions will be delivered on an ad hoc basis.)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Your child’s class teacher will check daily to ensure your child is engaging with their learning. Their engagement will be checked by attendance at online sessions and by the uploading of completed work set by their class teacher. If your child has not engaged all day, we will be emailing/calling to see if there is any support needed, to discuss concerns or to find out if there is anything we can do to help.

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.

All submitted tasks will be acknowledged by the receiving teacher; we strive to recognise the effort and value a child puts into their work, as well as helping each child identify improvements and next steps.

There will be regular cycles of assessment that will take place, according to the school’s assessment policy, in order to find out how well pupils are progressing and to evidence teacher judgements before reporting to parents/carers.

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 those 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:

We understand that younger pupils, particularly in Reception and Year 1, may find it difficult due to their age to learn remotely. We will endeavour to make online sessions fun, engaging and clear and offer any advice necessary to support parents during fortnightly check-in calls.
Any children with SEND who might find it difficult to be taught remotely in line with their year group peers, will be offered alternative provision or intervention appropriate to their needs.
All pupils with an EHCP, and who are not currently attending school, will have weekly telephone call as a ‘drop-in’ to discuss general welfare and progression towards targets; the contact will be provided by Mrs Livesey (SENCO) or the Class Teacher/Teaching Assistant to see if we can offer any additional support. (Mrs Livesey is contactable via email k.livesey@oriel-aspirations.org)
Printed paper packs requested by parents/carers will be altered where appropriate to accommodate for particular needs of certain pupils.

If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?

Where individual pupils need to self-isolate, we will endeavour to provide a remote education in-line with what their peers would typically receive; due to the challenges of the circumstances, the form of the learning may have to be adapted, but nonetheless the curriculum coverage will aim to remain the same.

Children will still have linked resources on Google Classroom to access; printed paper packs will still be available (though collection/drop-off will have to be worked out). The facility to upload whatever work has been set to Google Classroom would remain, as would our approach to feedback. However, depending on circumstance, some elements of the stated provision may not be possible, but we will try our best to find solutions that are workable for all involved.

Further information for pupils and parents to know:

Staff Training and Strategic Partnerships

Oriel Academy will ensure that all staff are suitably trained and supported to be able to maximise success for all online remote learning. We are able to support children and families with their remote learning needs.

Online safety

We will regularly remind all children about the importance of staying safe online and how to do this. All Oriel staff are trained on e-safety and Safeguarding children when online.

Wellbeing & Mental Health

Staff who use Google Classroom are monitoring all activity and are vigilant in spotting children who may need additional support with mental health or wellbeing/ safeguarding issues. Staff are trained to report all concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who will act swiftly to support children.

GDPR

Oriel Academy has appropriate management systems in place to comply with all GDPR requirements & regulations and all staff are trained in GDPR and online e-safety.

If you have any further queries or concerns, please do contact the school office: office@oriel-aspirations.org.