Remote Learning

Remote Education Provision: Information for students/parents/carers

This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to students, parents or carers about what to expect from our remote education during school closure.  For details of what to expect where individual students are self isolating, please see the final section of this guide.

The remote curriculum: what is taught to students at home?

From the first day, all students can access all work set using Showbie. Codes to access these have been shared with students, parents/carers via Newsletters and Showbie.

The Mathematics Faculty also supplements this with ‘SPARX Maths ’, English uses ‘Sora’,  and MFL uses ‘Duolingo’. Whilst there are limitations, we teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in the academy, wherever possible, and appropriate.  We expect that the remote education provided will take students approximately equivalent to the normal school day (five hours of learning time).  

Students can submit completed work to their teachers using the same systems that individual teachers used for setting the work.  Staff will use a variety of feedback approaches depending on the nature of the tasks set. 

Students are encouraged to spend valuable time looking at their knowledge organisers and completing some self-quizzing activities.

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

We recognise that some students, for example 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 that this may pose for families and we will work with parents/carers to support those students.  We will work with parents/carers to support students with SEND in the following ways: 

• When restricted access to the academy is enforced, in accordance with the guidance, vulnerable students are invited to attend the academy
• The PLC/alternative provision will remain open to students. Arrangements to be made with parents/carers and the academy on an individual basis.
• TA provision to be provided for students with an EHCP, whether attending the academy or accessing learning remotely. 
• Setting appropriate online learning to suit the needs of individual students.

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

Insufficient access to a device and the internet

On a case-by-case basis, we consider individuals struggling with access from home to be added to our priority list.

If  your child no longer has access to technology or the internet during the school day, please contact us to let us know.  

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 that your child is engaging in the learning activities that we set by one or more of the following ways:

• Work is expected to be submitted via Showbie
• Students, for some areas, are required to make comments on their work and learning

ONLINE LEARNING EXPECTATIONS

Members of the Granville Academy community, whether online or not, will adhere to the school Values of working hard, being kind and choosing wisely through our ambition to continue to develop our learning with a positive intent to support those around us, showing respect for one another.

This is a statement and best practice document for running remote lessons/online learning or live lessons or remote one-to-one sessions with students. These guidelines apply to all members of the school community, including staff, students, parents and visitors, who have access to and are users of the school IT systems. In this policy 'Staff' includes teaching and non-teaching staff, governors, and regular volunteers. 'Parents’ includes students' carers and guardians.

Compliance with Related School Policies

You will ensure that you comply with the Academy’s Acceptable Use Policy, Behaviour Policy, Safeguarding Policy, Anti-bullying Policy (including cyber-bullying), Staff Code of Conduct (for contact with students), Data Protection Policy, Records Retention Policy, Privacy Notice (all stakeholders), Data Breach Reporting Policy, Risk Management Policy and Special Educational Needs.

General Guidance

All students are expected to fully engage with the remote learning and teaching that is being provided. All communication with students will be done using the school systems. Staff should never use personal email (either their own or a student’s), personal mobile phone numbers or any form of social media to communicate directly with students. Gmail (school accounts), Zoom (webinars and meetings), and Showbie are the communication platform(s) within school.

All live lessons and one-to-one calls (audio and video) should be clearly risk assessed. No classes, pastoral staff or teachers should enable video feeds to (students) unless that has been agreed by the Pastoral Vice Principal prior to the lesson and has been duly risk assessed.

As the staff and students learn how to use the system, there are likely to be mistakes made and lessons that do not go as planned.

Staff

● Teaching staff will be expected to notify students of the relevant timetable for online learning and live lessons

● All teaching staff will be expected to have provided remote learning resources in advance

● Be aware of our surroundings when recording or producing a live video. It is recommended that staff blur their backgrounds so nothing accidentally goes into screenshot on your video

● Do not have one-to-one video calls with students through “chat”. Any one-to-one chats with parents or students should be documented

● No off timetable one-to-one meetings should be happening without the prior agreement of your Line Manager

● Communicate with students at appropriate times when using live meetings and calls.  This should be during the standard school day (8.15 a.m. -4.00 p.m. ). At all other times, either use direct message or, preferably, the class channel for transparent communication, again an attempt to do this within the standard school day should be made

Students

I understand that

●  Standard school rules apply for classroom behaviour

● If requested to engage in a video call with cameras on, I will wear suitable clothing on a video call (as should anyone else in the household who might appear on screen)

● If requested to engage in a video with cameras on, I will make sure that I am in an appropriate public area (not a bedroom)

● I will only use technology for school purposes as directed by my teacher

● If requested to join an additional ‘live’ stream session outside of my normal timetable, I will only do so if an adult at home knows I am doing it

● I will not reveal my passwords to anyone

● I will be responsible for my behaviour and actions when using technology, this includes the resources I access and the language I use

● I will make sure that all my communication with students, teachers or others using technology is responsible and sensible

● I will not deliberately browse, download, upload or forward material that I should not be viewing. If I accidentally come across any such material, I will report it immediately to my teacher or my parent/carer

● I will not share resources or videos created by my teachers with anyone who is not a student or member of staff at Granville Academy

● I will not record or take photos of my classmates or teachers during a face-to-face session

● I will not share any school content on social media platforms

● I understand that when using the applications provided by the school that my use can be monitored and logged and can be made available to my teachers

● If audio/video conferencing is used, I understand that this might be recorded by the teacher only if it has been confirmed at the start of the session

● I understand that these rules are designed to help keep me safe and that if they are not followed, school sanctions will be applied and my parent/carer may be contacted

Parents

● Parents should respect the classroom environment and not become involved in the ongoing live lessons

● Report any concerns as soon as possible

No parent or student shall record any of the online teaching or live lesson. If a teacher or member of school staff believes that this is happening, that student or parent will be ejected from the session. This will be a breach of the school Behaviour/Discipline policy and sanctions maybe applied and the school may take reasonable measures to be certain that any such recording shall be deleted.

The school shall have the benefit of the copyright for all material supplied. There is no consent for any material to be shared on social media or on the internet without the express written consent of a member of the Academy Leadership Team. These rights will be actively pursued.