Catsfield Church of England (VC) Primary School

This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education if local restrictions require entire classes to remain at home.

For details of what to expect , please see the final section of this page.

What is taught to pupils at home?

A pupil’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 teaching.

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

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?​

• We teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate. However, we have needed to make some adaptations in some subjects. For example, adaptions may be made in the way a science investigation could be undertaken; how opportunities for physical education are planned and set

Remote teaching and study time each day

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

In Early Years (Tigers Class) No direction from the DFE- we aim to provide a range of activities that can be used throughout the day

In Key Stage 1 (Lions Class) 3 hours of provision

In Key Stage 2 (Panthers Class and Leopards Class)  4 hours of provision

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

We use Google Classrooms. This is hosted via Google Chrome. Your child is provided with their own login and password to access their class on line learning. If your child forgets their password contact Mrs Anderson in the school office who will be able to help you.

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

• we have a limited number of School Chrome Books and Government provided Chrome Books we can lend to families struggling with no or only one item of tech which has to be used by several children in the home. We will issue these to anyone who is struggling. This is a assessed on each application made. You can apply by contacting the school office by phone or email.
• we have a limited number of Sim cards which can be used to provide additional data access on a smart phone or smart laptop. Apply for one of these via the school office. You can read the leaflet for Sim card use at the bottom of this section.
• if you wish we can provide printed copies of work uploaded. Notify the office and this can be organised for you. We will agree a safe appointment during the day for you to collect your pack
• for pupils completing paper work at home they should submit their work to their teacher when their adult comes to collect their next pack. The work is quarentined before being marked/ given feedback.

How will my child be taught remotely?

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

• recorded teaching. These are videos dropped alongside the learning or embedded in to slides. Teachers will explain tasks and teach within these. If the teacher becomes unwell and is unable to deliver online learning the class will be provided with the currciulum via Oak National Academy lessons which also have recorded teaching.
• printed paper packs produced by teachers for children who have difficulty accessing learning online (please speak to our office if this is the case as we do have technology we can loan you. This means you have full access to learning including teacher videos).
• online reading books and copies of pages will be linked and provided wherever possible
• commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas, including video clips or sequences, for example, via BBC Bitesize, Phonics Play, Numberblocks and so on

What are your expectations for my child’s engagement and the support that we as parents and carers should provide at home?

• We expect all our children to engage with the learning we provide daily. This can be organised by adults in the best way possible to fit around other leanring at home. Secondary age chidlren may be accessing live leanring so our provision can be undertaken at any time and in any order that day.
• Tasks should be completed to the deadline set by the teacher, usually 4pm, to enable the teacher to mark or provide feedback for your child. Work can be completed after this time but is unlikely to be responded to that day
• Parents and carers should endeavour to suport their children by organising a safe space to work and setting a routine. This guidance is a useful support for parents and carers 

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

• We will check pupils’ engagement with remote education daily. Teachers will be reviewing each child's completed tasks throughout the day and directly after school
• We recognise that there may be some days where learning is more difficutl to undertake but in general the children are expected to engage with learning daily. Class teachers will keep track of engagement and if they have concerns will make contact with the parent or carer by phone. It may be that they can offer support and guidance or advice in accessing further 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. Our approach to feeding back on pupil work is as follows:

• We use the comments box attached to your child's work to give feedback
• We may complete 'on work marking' in the traditional sense next to pupil answers
• Teachers will intend to respond daily. It is important to recognise staff are also teaching children in the classroom throughout the school day and will be completing most marking and feedback after school. On a Wednesday staff attend a team meeting which may delay response on that day

Additional support for pupils with particular needs

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 some 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

SEND Links 

Support for families and children with autism can be found at https://www.autism.org.uk/services/helplines/coronavirus.aspx

A range of learning that can be adapted for all children https://www.hackneyservicesforschools.co.uk/extranet/primary-home-learning-resources

Mental Health and Wellbeing Links 

Calm activites https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/

Support for adults https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/

How to talk  to your  child about  coronavirus,  by  Unicef:   https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/how-talk-your-child-about-coronavirus-covid-19

A book for children about coronavirus with illustrations by Axel Scheffler https://czone.eastsussex.gov.uk/media/6226/coronavirus_abookforchildren.pdf

The Invisible String - a book for children about bonds we have between us even when we are apart  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlUxXexjhYI

Further links can be found on the SEND and MHEW pages as well as individual class remote learning pages