REMOTE EDUCATION PROVISION – INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

 

This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to students and parents or carers about what to expect from our provision of remote education where national or local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home.

Parents and carers have been issued with our Remote Learning Family and Student Handbook to help support form of study in the home.

For details of what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating, please see the final section of this page.

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The remote curriculum: what is taught to students at home

Whilst remote education is different in many respects from our standard approach in the classroom, the Academy aims to provide its students with a purposeful and well-sequenced curriculum which will enable students to progress. Our aim is that students will continue to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding relevant to each subject area through the provision of appropriate learning opportunities and assessment.

Students will need to activate their self-regulated learning skills in terms of organising and prioritising their learning activities with the help of their teachers, tutors and support members of staff.

A range of extension tasks are suggested for those students who wish to pursue other aspects of their learning. These are optional and are designed to stimulate further academic activity.

Key Stage 3 students should follow the programme below spending up to an hour on each subject per day. This plan reflects the weighting of each subject in the Key Stage 3 Curriculum.

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Key Stage 4 students should continue to follow their normal timetable as far as possible to ensure coverage of all GCSE subjects.

 

During periods of remote education, will my child be taught broadly the same curriculum as they would if they were in school?

We broadly teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate. The normal schemes of work at Key Stage 3 will be used to enable a smooth transition back to school. At Key Stage 4, teachers will continue to follow the requirements of the subject’s examination board’s specification. However, we have needed to make some adaptations in some subjects. For example, in practical subjects some adjustments have been made to planned practical activities.

In Key Stage 4, some tasks relating to practical NEAs (coursework), have been suspended whilst we await guidance from the examination boards on how to proceed.

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Remote teaching and study time each day

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How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?

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

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Accessing remote education

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

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Students at the Academy should access their learning tasks through Class Charts in the first instance. This platform will then signpost them to the tasks that have been set for them either in the Google Classroom or on another learning platform such as Educake, Ever Learner, BBC Bitesize, Literacy Planet, Seneca etc.

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Students will need passwords to different sites and should refer to their password and Google Classroom codes page in their planner. If a student forgets or loses their password, they should contact their Head of Year for Class Charts logins and their class teacher for all other passwords.

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

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

The Academy conducted a survey to find out how we could best support those with limited access to remote education. The following steps have been put in place:

 

• Laptops or iPads have been issued to students where no other access to the internet is available.

• The few students who do not have internet connections have been issued with a dongle device.

• In some cases, printed materials can be collected from student reception or can be posted home.

• Students can send photographs of their work using their mobile phones or can upload documents to their Google Classroom using the devices that have been issued to them

• Students can work in school if devices at home are not available.

• Heads of Year working in conjunction with the Assistant Head liaise with parents and carers to ensure that students have access to the resources they need.
   

How will my child be taught remotely?

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

As part of this list, schools may wish to indicate the extent to which they are used, and subjects and key stages these approaches are used in, if there are differences.

Some examples of remote teaching approaches:

• live weekly tutor sessions;

• recorded teaching (video/audio recordings made by teachers which are made available in the Google Classroom to demonstrate, explain or to give feedback)

• some use of Oak National Academy lessons where appropriate;

• printed paper packs produced by teachers (e.g. workbooks, worksheets);

• textbooks, revision guides and reading books students have at home (mostly at KS4);

• commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas, including video clips or sequences, online low-stakes quizzes to check knowledge;

• open communication with teachers through Google Classroom Chat or via school Google Email.

• Students with SEND should refer to the section headed Additional support for students with particular needs later in the document.

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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?

It is our expectation that all students will engage with remote education unless there are medical reasons why they are unable to do so. If these exist, the Head of Year, should be the first point of contact.

Parents and carers should support their children’s engagement in the remote education programme by:

• ensuring their child has a good daily routine, e.g. getting up early, taking breaks, daily reading, taking physical exercise.

• encouraging them to follow the timetable laid out by the Academy including daily reading;

• encouraging their child to persevere with tasks and to ask their teachers questions about any aspects of the work they need help with through the Google Classroom Chat function or via the school Google email.

• Contacting their child’s teacher, tutor or Head of Year as appropriate if help is required.

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

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Live tutor group sessions will take place once each week to provide students with an opportunity to interact with their tutor and fellow students. These sessions will provide tutors with an opportunity to monitor how students are engaging in their remote education.

These sessions should follow the following rules:

Online live meeting rules:

•          Where possible, please sit against a neutral background.

•          Please mute your microphone on entering the Google Meet and follow instructions from your Tutor/Teacher.

•          Please try to be in a shared space in your house, where possible, rather than in your bedroom.

•          Please dress appropriately.

•          Please be mindful that other children/staff may see or hear you and anything in the background.

If you do not want your image on screen please turn your camera off.

Each department will follow the Academy’s Assessment policy and will routinely monitor the work submitted by students in the same way as they would in school.

They will check whether students have submitted work to the Google Classroom or via email and will offer feedback as appropriate either individually or as a whole-class.

Those departments using online learning platforms to check on students’ acquisition of knowledge through low-stakes quizzing will record their outcomes.

Formal assessments will take place each half term when individual feedback identifying a student’s strengths and areas for development will be identified. This feedback could be written or verbal using the Mote function in Google Classroom.

Rewards for engagement in learning will be issued in Class Charts as will reminders to submit work when it is overdue.

If a student fails to submit several pieces of work, the teacher, in the first instance, then the Head of Department or Head of Year will investigate by contacting the student or their parents or carers. A student may be invited to come into school to discuss any barriers to learning and to receive support to continue with their remote learning.

Parents and carers will have the opportunity to gauge how well their child is progressing through the calendared Parents’ Evenings or Mid Term Assessments (MTAs).

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

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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 pupil work is as follows:

• Weekly monitoring of work submitted and whole-class or individual feedback as required to address misconceptions through Google Classroom;

• Individual feedback outlining what went well and areas for improvements via Mote or Google Comments for substantial ‘formal’ assessments. (At least half-termly).

 

Additional support for students with particular needs

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How will you work with me to help my child who needs additional support from adults at home to access remote education?

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We recognise that some pupils, for example some students 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:

Students with EHCPs

• Students with EHCPs have the opportunity to come into school if this is the best option for them. Their Teaching Assistant will be in school to work with them to support them as they work through the day’s learning tasks.

• If students with EHCPs are working from home, their TA will either call them or host a virtual meeting each day to make sure that he or she has understood the day’s tasks and to explain any areas about which they are unsure. The TA will be available for email support through the day.

Students without an EHCP but on the SEND register

• Teachers will provide tasks that can be accessed by all students and will offer additional support where required. If a student requires additional support, parents or carers should contact the class teacher in the first instance.
   

Remote education for self-isolating pupils

If individual students or group of students need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in school, those students will be able to access the content of the lessons they have missed via Google Classroom. Teachers will post the learning including any PowerPoint (and / or additional resources) so that learning can continue remotely. Feedback will be provided through Google Classroom Comments or via Mote in Google Classroom.

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January 25th 2021

 

Top Tips to Supporting Reading at Home - link

Remote Learning Handbook - link

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REMOTE LEARNING @ BRAUNTON ACADEMY
 

I write in the detail below to allow you to have confidence in your child’s attendance here at Braunton Academy: it is important that you are clear and assured in all we have done to present the school as a safe and agreeable environment for the children (and staff) to attend each day. 
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you might have in regard to the detail presented here.

HEALTH AND SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT TO ALL AT BRAUNTON ACADEMY
You will be pleased to know that all aspects of Health and Safety measures and statutory compliance are covered extensively across the Academy: meaning that hot and cold-water systems, gas safety, fire safety, kitchen equipment, security including access control and intruder alarm systems and ventilation are all thoroughly checked on a regular basis. This includes, of course, a detailed Risk Assessment, regularly updated, to ensure the Academy is a “Covid-19 Safe environment” for all.

 
CLEANING
We are carefully following PHE’s ‘COVID-19: cleaning of non-healthcare settings’ guidance. This means:
•    An enhanced cleaning schedule across the Academy, particularly focused on those most frequently used areas of the school, such as bathrooms/toilets, classrooms and communal areas. 
•    Additional cleaning staff being recruited for the daily cleaning routines, the removal and safe disposal of rubbish. 
•    Classroom-based resources, such as sports, art and science equipment, are available for use and shared within a Year Group. The schedule for frequent cleaning of resources/equipment (e.g. books, calculators) shared within the groups is the responsibility of the students and staff/ teachers at the time.
•    Classroom-based resources shared across Year groups are frequently and meticulously cleaned and always rotated to allow them to be left unused and out of reach for a period of 48 hours (72 hours for plastics) between use by different Year Groups. The schedule for the isolation or cleaning of resources/equipment (e.g. Technology and, science equipment) shared across Year groups is the responsibility of students and teachers supported by subject specialist Technicians and cleaners. 

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IMPLEMENTING SOCIAL DISTANCING AND HYGIENE PRACTICE ACROSS THE ACADEMY
I list here the Academy's expectations of all on site to ensure SD and hygiene is maintained wherever and whenever it is possible:

• The Academy is operating under the present instruction: “Stay apart – No Contact” 

• Seating plans for classrooms ensure desks are most commonly in rows and students are forward-facing;

• Rooms have been completely de-cluttered to allow for simple and effective cleaning/sanitising throughout the school-day;

• Sanitising and handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds will be extensively promoted and encouraged across the school-day.                    Sanitisers are situated in every classroom and at every entrance to the Academy.    

           

 All will be expected to sanitise their hands, particularly when:

             o    entering the school site
             o    whenever moving from one room to another
             o    after sneezing or coughing
             o    before and after handling or eating food
             o    after going to the toilet

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•    The ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’ approach is continually promoted and supported by the Academy in providing tissues, closed-top bins, and posters. 
•    All visitors are fully informed as to expectations 
•    Staff and students are encouraged to utilise natural ventilation via external doors and windows where possible and safe to so. 

 

ARRANGEMENTS TO REDUCE MIXING BETWEEN GROUPS

The government guidance advises that the approaches suggested of separating groups and maintaining distance are not ‘all or nothing’ options and will bring benefits even if partially used. 
•    Staggered starts and finish times at the Academy are not possible due to the variety of travel challenges and restrictions presenting to our students.
•    Students will enter through separate Year Group gateways (Please see the attached map) 
•    Students will be studying in Year Group ‘bubbles’: they will be hosted, therefore, in five separate ‘Zoned areas’ within the school – Contact will be minimised around the Academy site through the use of separate entrance/exit gates (clearly signed), one-way systems, clear signage, staff on duty to direct students, visible ground and floor markings - arrows, safety barriers and tape/signs.

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The zones are presently:-

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•    We have revised room timetables to accommodate groups/classes within their own ‘Zoned areas’ to minimise whole-classes moving between classrooms: 
              o    Key Stage 3 classes are assigned a teaching room where the majority of their lessons will take place. Other lessons will either take  place in their Teaching Zone or in specialist teaching areas. 
              o    Key Stage 4 classes take place in the rooms within the Teaching Zone or in specialist teaching areas.
•    Students are seated side by side and facing front and unnecessary furniture has been removed. 
•    Teachers and support staff move between classes and Year Zones: keeping 2 metres distance from students and remaining at the front of the class at all times. 
•    Breaks and Lunchtimes are accommodated within the separate ‘Zones’ and some students may be asked to bring in ‘packed-lunches’/snacks/drinks to avoid gathering in the canteen and queueing areas. The size and movement limitations of key areas (pinch-points and queuing restrictions) of the canteen make it unsafe to operate as normal under the present guidance.
•    Playgrounds and outdoor spaces are divided to minimise mixing between groups – we will consider using ‘Tweedies’ playing field for Years 9, 10 and 11 during good weather.
•    Well-ventilated shelters have been purchased to extend the covered areas available for students, particularly during wet Breaks and Lunchtimes. 
•    I would ask that parents/carers minimise waiting times and avoid stopping/chatting when dropping off/collecting your children: it is important to keep routes to and from the Academy as clear as possible at all times, please.

 

CURRICULUM
Braunton Academy follows the government guidelines in ensuring we provide the best curriculum experience for our students:

•    Teach an ambitious and broad curriculum in all subjects, making use of existing flexibilities to create time to cover the most important missed content.
•    Aim to return to the Academy’s normal curriculum in all subjects by summer term 2021.
•    Plan our curriculum offer on the basis of the educational needs of students.
•    Continue to develop our remote learning programme so that it is integrated into our curriculum planning.

•    Braunton Academy is committed to providing our children with as normal and as broad a timetable of studies as possible, hence the students will be following their ‘normal’ timetable but studying the different subjects in the same suite of rooms (their ‘zone’). This decision is primarily based on our belief that this return to ‘normality’ will support the children’s mental health and well-being.
•    Teaching groups in Years 8 and 9 will remain the same for the next academic year (2020-21) to provide the students with a clear sense of continuity to their learning.
•    Teachers will be engaging the children in new areas of study on their return to class – it is important that students are not unduly worrying about any aspect of all they did, or did not do, over the lockdown period; there will be opportunities for all students to continue to make good progress in all subject areas as we move through the new academic year.
•    Teachers will identify the most important missed content and, over the coming months, look to ensure these areas of study are revisited to further cement the learning required.
•    Students must carry all they need for their day’s schooling in their bag: they must have their own stationery equipment (See the ‘Student’s Equipment List’ on the web-site) since it is not possible for equipment to be shared.
•    Music concerns: we are advised that there is an additional risk of infection in environments where singing, chanting, playing wind or brass instruments or shouting is taking place. This applies even if individuals are at a distance, so Mr Street is working hard to come up with a whole host of different ways of making music in the usual fun lessons.
•    Likewise, Mr Frickleton has been spending hours on considering how physical education, sport and physical activity will be provided whilst following the government’s control measures: rest assured, he has a plan…well, several actually! 
•    Other ‘practical’ lessons, such as art, technology, computing and science experiments will be able to take place as we have put into place a detailed cleaning programme, as listed above (- that’s why I included that section of my Risk Assessment, you see!) 

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
On the days that students have PE, they must come to school dressed in their PE kit, and will stay in their PE kit for the duration of the day. 

Girls PE kit required for every lesson
•    White socks
•    Plain black shorts or sports leggings
•    Maroon polo shirt
•    Maroon 1/4 zip fleece
•    Suitable sports trainers 
•    Waterproof coat

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Boys PE kit required for every lesson 
•    White socks
•    Plain black shorts or sports leggings
•    Maroon polo shirt
•    Maroon Rugby top
•    Suitable sports trainers 
•    Waterproof coat

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All lessons will be predominantly outside at all times, even during adverse weather conditions, unless this poses a risk to students and staff. It is therefore essential that ALL students come to school with a waterproof coat on the days that they have PE, and they must bring it with them to their PE lesson. This is so that they can stay as dry as possible during their lesson to avoid them being wet for further lessons in the day. It is also important that all students bring a spare pair of shorts/sports leggings, trainers and socks that they can change into afterwards if necessary. They must keep this in a small bag and bring this with them to their PE lesson.

Spare PE kit required for every lesson 
•    Plain black shorts
•    Socks
•    Trainers
•    Small separate bag in which to store spare kit.

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If in the event that students will need to change into dry clothes, all boys will change in the existing 'boys' and 'girls changing rooms which will be opened up into one changing room. The girls will then change if needed, in the dance studio. To keep staff safe and to ensure that they can keep 2 metres away from all students, staff will be asked to remotely supervise the changing rooms from outside and will therefore not be present in the changing rooms as they normally would. They will however, be in close proximity in the event of an emergency.

BEHAVIOUR AND ATTENDANCE
•    Students are continuing to wear the Academy uniform. If students are timetabled for PE lessons on any particular day, they are encouraged to attend in their PE kit on these days since it is not possible for us to safely use the school changing rooms. 

It is vital for all children to return to school to minimise as far as possible the longer-term impact of the pandemic on children’s education, wellbeing and wider development. Missing out on more time in the classroom risks students falling further behind. Those with higher overall absence tend to achieve less well in school.
 
•    School attendance is mandatory. Once the Academy is operating as 'normal', the usual rules on school attendance will apply, including:
          o    It is the parents’/carers’ duty to ensure their child attends regularly at school;
          o    It is the schools’ responsibilities to record attendance and follow up absence
          o    The Academy is expected to issue sanctions, including fixed penalty notices in line with local authorities’ codes of conduct.

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Braunton Academy will work sympathetically with all parents, carers, and children in securing their attendance at the school; we will consider each family situation according to individual circumstance and the provided evidence.

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•    Please remember that we prefer for mobile phones not to be brought into the Academy: please remind your children that we will be returning to our normal school policy in regard to phone usage – phones must not be seen or heard on the school premises during the school-day.
•    We have reviewed the Academy’s ‘Behaviour and Relationships Policy’ to create the right conditions to positively re-engage students in their learning and reintegrate them back into ‘school life’, however, it is important to reassure all families that repeated disruption to children’s learning will not be tolerated and normal disciplinary policies will apply throughout the school-day to support the high standards of behaviour expected across the Academy and provision of quality care and support.

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Please click on the attached link for the Behaviour & Relationships Policy, Covid-19 Appendix

STUDENT WELL-BEING AND SUPPORT 
We recognise that our students may experience a variety of emotions in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak: some students may be suffering from anxiety, stress or low mood and it is important to contextualise these feelings as normal responses to an abnormal situation; some may need support to re-adjust to school; others may have enjoyed being at home and be reluctant to return; a few may be showing signs of more severe anxiety or depression, whilst most will not be experiencing any challenges and will be keen and ready to return to school. 
•    The Academy’s Heads of Year and Pastoral teams will be working to identify, support any of those students who are struggling with the return to school and will be looking to devise a plan to provide specific support as it is needed.
•    Our intended provision of pastoral and extra-curricular activities for students is designed to:
           o    support the rebuilding of friendships and social engagement
           o    address and equip students to respond to issues linked to coronavirus 
           o    support students with approaches to improving their physical and mental wellbeing

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TRANSPORT TO SCHOOL

• Where possible, all students are encouraged to either walk or cycle to school. 

• (Cycle racks: Y7 front of Canteen; Y8 - Barton Lane (West); Y9 AWP; Y10 - Bottom of Isaac’s Yard; Y11 – Barton Lane (East))

•  Alternatively, you should ask parents/carers to privately drive you to school.

• The usual school transport provision will be provided by Devon County Council on our return to school: Students who are travelling on dedicated school buses or public transport are required to wear a face covering for the whole journey, placing it in a sealed (sandwich?) bag and then in their school bag before entering the Academy site.

•    All planned Academy trips/Educational visits have been cancelled in line with government guidance.

PARENTS/CARERS ATTENDING THE ACADEMY SITE
•    All parent/carers and visitors are unable to enter the Academy site, unless by appointment, unless it is deemed absolutely necessary. Only pre-arranged meetings will be allowed on site.  
•    All parent/carers and visitors, must use the hand sanitiser on the main gate and in the Main Reception Area before entering the Academy site. 
•    All parent/carers and visitors who are invited onto the premises must confirm if they are displaying any symptoms of coronavirus and the meeting will then be re-arranged. ​

 

M. Cammack
January 2021

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