Gateway Academy Westminster

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Remote Learning Plan

We now have a remote learning plan in place so that any child who cannot attend school because of COVID-19 does not miss out on their learning.

Here, we explain our plans for remote learning for children who have to self-isolate, or where local or national restrictions mean that children need to stay at home.

Our remote learning plan has been formulated with our pupils and their families in mind. We believe that this strategy will work best for the children at Gateway Academy.

View Remote Education Strategy

View Remote Learning Gallery

The Remote Curriculum

What should my child expect from remote education in the first day or two of children being sent home?

A child’s first day or two of being educated remotely might look different from our standard approach, while we take all necessary actions to prepare for a longer period of remote learning.

If a child or group of children are sent home from school, we would aim to provide the necessary equipment to move to remote learning as quickly as possible. This includes the use of a school Chromebook and other equipment as appropriate for the child’s age group, e.g. a mini whiteboard and pen, or a book to work in.

Where possible, all necessary equipment will be sent home with the child. If children begin isolating outside of the school day, we will contact parents to arrange collection of the equipment for as soon as possible on the next school day.

Remote teaching and study time each day

Following the first few days of remote education, will my child be taught broadly the same curriculum as they would if they were in school?

Literacy and Maths will be taught every day. Over the course of a week, children will also have lessons in a range of other subjects.

We aim to teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school. However, we may need to make adaptations in some subjects. For example, some of the more practical lessons that require specific equipment will be scheduled for when children are back in school, e.g. Y5 Bread Making.

 

How long will it take my child to complete school work set by the Academy?

We expect that remote education (including remote teaching and independent work) will take children broadly the following number of hours each day:

Reception and Key Stage 1

At least 3 hours of learning and activities daily

Key Stage 2

At least 4 hours of learning and activities daily


Accessing remote education

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

School work for children in Nursery, Reception, Years 1 and 2 will be posted on SeeSaw.

School work for children in Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 will be posted on Google Classroom.

A variety of online learning links can be accessed via the Academy website. Children are familiar with these sites as teachers already use them as part of their teaching.

 

If my child does not have digital or online access at home, how will you support them to access remote education?

We recognise that some children may not have suitable online access at home. We take the following approaches to support those pupils to access remote education:

  • The Academy is able to loan a Chromebook to every child in Reception through to Year 6. This will support them with their home learning. It MUST be returned to the Academy when children return to school full time.
  • The Academy is able to provide internet access via pre-paid dongles or Sim cards. Please contact the school office if this is required.
  • All parents can request paper copies of lessons delivered on line from their teacher or the school office.

 

How will my child be taught remotely?

We use a combination of the following approaches to teach children remotely:

  • All children have access to at least one daily live session. Live sessions will always be attended by two staff members.
  • Teachers will make a wellbeing call to children who do not attend live learning sessions.
  • Recorded teaching (e.g. Oak National Academy lessons, video/audio recordings made by our teachers)
  • Printed paper copies of lessons produced by teachers (e.g. workbooks, worksheets)
  • Commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas, including video clips or sequences, e.g. BBC Bitesize.
  • Access to a range of online resources that the Academy subscribes to and are managed by class teachers, e.g. Bug Club, Time Table Rock Stars.

Engagement and feedback

What are your expectations for my child’s engagement?

It is important that your child engages with home learning and attends the daily live learning sessions.

  • Children are expected to approach their remote education in the same way as face-to-face education. This includes showing the usual impeccable Gateway behaviour and manners, and always trying their best.
  • They are expected to complete the work set daily and upload work for teachers to assess via Google Classroom or Seesaw. Children working on paper copies are able to upload photos and videos of their work. Alternatively, they can bring paper copies to school for teachers to review.
  • All children will need a quiet space to work where they can hear the live learning and respond clearly.

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

If children are not engaging with their learning, we will use the following strategies to provide additional support:

  • Children’s engagement in all remote learning opportunities is monitored daily.
  • Just as when children attend school face-to-face, teachers take the register during live learning sessions.
  • When we notice that a child is not attending live learning sessions or not engaging in other learning opportunities, a teacher will call home to offer support and encouragement.
  • Teachers will offer incentives to children to engage. For example, class rewards or recognition of success and effort.
  • A member of the Senior Leadership Team will contact parents to agree a strategy to improve engagement.

 

How will you give my child feedback about their 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. Our approach to feeding back on children’s work is as follows:

  • We ask that children send their work back to school each day so that the teacher can check the learning and provide feedback as necessary.
  • Children will receive regular feedback on their work:

       o Maths and Literacy work will be marked daily if submitted by 3pm.

       o Work in all other subjects will be marked by the end of the week.

       o Staff are available at various points during school hours for online questions from                    children.

What you can do to help

We appreciate that if this situation arises, it may present some challenges for you. We kindly ask for your support so that we can continue to provide high-quality education for your child during this time.

Younger children in particular may need support in accessing online materials and staying focused with their remote learning. We ask that you help them as much as you can.

At the same time, we do not expect you to watch your child all day, and we would not expect parents/carers to get involved in remote lessons in place of our teachers. However, it would be helpful if you can take an active role in your child’s learning by asking them about their day and what they’ve learned.

In the early stages, children might need some support to access the remote education on offer. Some of the technology is new and unfamiliar to the children.  Support can be found on the Academy website, under ‘Home Learning Help for Parents’ tab.

Here you will find a number of “How to” guides and videos that address many of the common difficulties http://www.gateway-academy.co.uk/Online_Learning/Home-Learning-Help-for-Parents/

If you are still having trouble accessing remote learning, please email  itsupport@gsuite.gateway-academy.co.uk and a member of the Gateway team will be in contact to help. Alternatively, phone the Academy and our office staff will pass a message to someone who can help you.

 

Our top tips:

  • Try to encourage your child to be ready and dressed for the start of the school day, and to keep to a routine.
  • Distinguish between weekdays and weekends, and make it clear when the school day is over, to separate home and school life.
  • Plan breaks and exercise into the day to help keep your child active.
  • Take a look at your child’s online learning for the day and offer encouragement to complete tasks.
  • Please read our protocols for live learning. Click here to view our live lesson protocol.
  • Please let us know if you are having any difficulties with remote learning or if you have any questions. We will be in regular contact so make sure that your email address and phone number are up-to-date and you look out for communications from school.