Remote Learning Using Google Classroom

In the guidance for reopening schools, the government have made it clear that learning needs to continue at home (remote learning) if a child is required to isolate or the school is closed.

When does my child need to complete remote learning?

Your child must complete remote learning if:

• They are isolating for 10 days due to a family member testing positive for Covid-19.
• They are isolating for 10 days due to testing positive for Covid-19 themselves but have recovered from the initial symptoms.
• A positive case of Covid-19 is found in school, which results in a ‘bubble’ having to isolate.
• A local or national lockdown, which requires the school to close.

If your child is absent from school and suffering symptoms of any illness, they are not expected to complete remote learning. You must telephone the School Office as usual to let us know that your child is unwell.

If your child is absent for one of the four reasons detailed in the bullet points above, they are expected to complete daily remote learning. This includes children in Nursery, Reception and the Ocean Centre.

If your child is absent from school for any other reason, this will be an unauthorised absence and remote learning will not be provided for your child.

How will my child access remote learning?

All children in the school have been set up with a Google Classroom account. Children have been shown in school how to access their account, but younger children will obviously need help to do this again at home.

A step-by-step video guide to using Google Classroom can be found below for you to refer to if you are new to or unsure of how to use part of the platform.  (It has been created by a secondary school trust, so please don’t worry about the tasks these children are being asked to do. Your child’s lessons and tasks will match their year group curriculum.)

Google Classroom will use a combination of approaches to teach children remotely, including:

• Recorded teaching from the Oak National Academy, White Rose Maths and other DfE recommended providers
• Worksheets and workbooks uploaded by teachers to be accessed digitally
• Links to websites and YouTube channels designed for supporting teaching and learning of primary school-aged pupils e.g. BBC Bitesize, Oxford Owl, Read Write Inc
• Practical tasks using items commonly found in the home, which can be photographed and uploaded to Google Classroom
• Project work and/or internet research

Due to the difficulty of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage accessing online learning, many of the activities set for these children will involve practical and child-led activities to replicate the play-based approach to learning and development for Nursery and Reception pupils.

How much school work will my child have to do each day?

Please see this sample timetable which shows the lessons your child will be expected to complete each day. A timetable and all resources will be provided by the teacher through Google Classroom and work will be set that is appropriate to your child.

We expect that remote education (including teaching and independent work) will take pupils the following amount of time depending on their age:

Key stage 1: 3 hours a day

Key Stage 2: 4 hours a day

Will my child be taught the same curriculum as they would if they were in school?

We teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate. However, we may have to make adaptations in some subjects due to the learning being delivered at home and the types of resources available for online learning.

What if my child has Special Educational Needs (SEND)?

We recognise that some pupils, for example those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may not be able to access remote learning without significant support from adults at home. We also acknowledge the difficulties this may place on families and we will work with parents and carers to support these pupils in the following ways:

• Adapting the curriculum to meet the particular needs of the pupil, so that it is fully-appropriate
• Providing physical resources on a loaned basis to support learning at home
• Providing regular contact with the school’s SEND Leader to discuss further support and provision whilst at home

What if we do not have access to devices or the internet?

As with homework through EdShed, your child will be given paper copies of work to complete. The activities will cover the same curriculum content as the tasks being set through Google Classroom. All paper-based remote learning must be completed, as per the timetable and returned as directed by your child’s class teacher.

The school is doing all it can to get additional devices (e.g. laptops) and connectivity for children who do not have access at home. We will contact eligible families directly once devices become available and these will be loaned to pupils.

What do I (the parent/carer) have to do?

At home, you are required to support your child in completing the learning tasks each day. They should login at the start of the school day and complete all lessons for that day by 3.15pm. Please allow them small breaks between lessons. You will need to check that all work has been submitted (marked as done or turned in) by this time each day. Your child will receive regular feedback and guidance from their class teacher through Google Classroom to assess their progress and to plan future learning tasks.

If your child is completing paper-based learning, please check their work and ensure they make any necessary corrections. Also ensure their work is photographed and uploaded to Google Classroom or emailed to the school, as directed by the class teacher.

We recognise that this may feel a lot more rigorous than the approach that was followed during the first lockdown. However, this is necessary for children’s learning to not be further affected by the pandemic.

As completion of this work is now compulsory for all pupils, work will be checked daily. The class teacher will call you to chase up any work that has not been submitted. Continued non-completion of work will be referred to the Senior Leadership Team. 

If you have any issues with accessing or completing your child’s remote learning, please call or email the school office who will forward on your query on to the class teacher or Key Stage Leader.

Google Meet

Research is showing the importance for children’s wellbeing in maintaining contact with their peers and teachers during the school closure a. As a school, this is something we recognise. Therefore, the school is offering Google Meet sessions twice a week as part of its remote provision for children who are learning at home.

Teachers will be live on Google Meet every Monday and Friday at the following times:

The Parent and Pupil User Agreement for Google Meet can be found here. Only children who have signed the user agreement will be able to participate.