For details of what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating, please see the final section of this page.
The remote curriculum: 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 learning.
What should my child expect from immediate remote education in the first day or two of pupils being sent home?
Within the first instance of pupils being sent home to learn, they will access PANDA (Sacriston Academy’s virtual school) where they will obtain learning resources to complete independently. Some pupils with Special Educational Needs or those working significantly below age-related expectations may receive printed learning materials, tailored to their individual targets.
Pupils who do not have a suitable electronic device who are in Year 3 to Year 6 will have an iPad or laptop allocated to them to ensure they can access remote learning. Pupils who have no internet access will be given a paper home learning paper pack until Wi-Fi devices/additional mobile data can be sourced and allocated.
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, planned lessons which require specialist equipment and/or materials (i.e. in Science, Music or Design and Technology) may be adapted to suit learners’ at-home accessibility to such resources.
Remote teaching and study time each day
How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?
We expect that remote education (including remote teaching and independent work) will take pupils broadly the following number of hours each day:
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Early Years Pupils
(Nursery)
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3 hours of remote education per day. A minimum of 1 hour of live teaching per day.
Daily live teaching in Reading, Writing, Maths and a Foundation Subject (as a minimum per day) with teachers available for 1:1/small group calls with pupils needing additional support.
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Early Years Pupils
(Reception)
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5 hours of remote education per day. A minimum of 2.5 hours of live teaching per day.
Daily live teaching in Reading, Writing, Maths and a Foundation Subject (as a minimum per day) with teachers available for 1:1/small group calls with pupils needing additional support.
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Key Stage One Pupils
(Year 1 and Year 2)
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5 hours of remote education per day. A minimum of 3 hours of live teaching per day.
Daily live teaching in Reading, Writing, Maths and a Foundation Subject (as a minimum per day) with teachers available for 1:1/small group calls with pupils needing additional support.
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Key Stage Two Pupils
(Year 3 to Year 6)
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5 hours of remote education per day. A minimum of 4 hours of live teaching per day.
Daily live teaching in Reading, Writing, Maths and a Foundation Subject (as a minimum per day) with teachers available for 1:1/small group calls with pupils needing additional support.
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Accessing remote education
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?
Children will access resources through PANDA, Class Dojo, Purple Mash, Spelling Shed, and Times Table Rockstars (they all have individual log in details, which have been shared with parents/carers, to access remotely and in school).
Microsoft Teams will be used to deliver live lessons. Again, pupils have their own log in detail. We have support staff working in each year group who communicate with families and support them in accessing their accounts where issues arise.
If you require any advice/support, please contact your child’s class teacher/teaching assistant via Class Dojo.
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 issue loaned devices (tablets and laptops) to families who we know do not have a device – this information is acquired through contact with parents and held securely in school. In the first instance, school will contact parents to confirm they still require a device and if so, arrange for one to be allocated.
- We have a limited supply of devices that enable an internet connection. These are issued on a first-come-first serve basis. In the first instance, school will contact parents to confirm they still require a device and if so, arrange for one to be allocated.
- Parents who require printed materials for their child (because they have no internet connection/a suitable device at the time) should contact their child’s class teacher through Class Dojo to request. Staff will add families requiring devices to their records and aim to supply a device as soon as possible.
- Pupils without online access will be issued printed learning materials for one week. When collecting their pack, they should return the previous pack to school. This will be quarantined for 72 hours before teaching staff can mark and assess. Feedback will be given via telephone where appropriate. If pupils/families have any trouble accessing the resources/require any additional support or guidance, they can contact the school via telephone and arrange for the class teacher/teaching assistant to call them.
For any further information about remote learning, please contact Miss Towers at school or via Class Dojo.
How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely:
- live teaching on Microsoft Teams (online lessons)
- recorded teaching (video/audio recordings made by teachers)
- printed paper materials produced by teachers (e.g. workbooks, worksheets)
- PANDA (virtual school resources)
- commercially available websites supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas, including video clips or sequences
- long-term project work and/or internet research activities
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?
We expect all pupils to engage in remote learning. In school, we are working towards providing all pupils access to live lessons and online learning.
We expect parents/carers to work in partnership with the school. At home, we expect them to ensure children are ready and able to access learning, set routines, hold high expectations in the quality and quantity of pupils’ work, and to maintain communication with school staff on a regular basis.
How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?
School staff will check pupils’ engagement daily and will contact families initially via Dojo/text message. Then, follow up calls will be made to families.
Pupils who are working with printed materials will be contacted once a week to check how their child(ren) is managing and if any support is required.
If pupils/families have any trouble accessing the resources/require any additional support or guidance, they can contact the school via telephone and arrange for the class teacher/teaching assistant to call them.
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:
- verbal feedback from teachers throughout live lessons
- work set on Purple Mash will be marked/have feedback given electronically
- feedback will be communicated with pupils and families through Class Dojo, Microsoft Teams or via telephone
Pupils who access online learning will receive daily feedback. Pupils who have printed learning materials will receive weekly feedback.
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 in the following ways:
- In the first instance, pupils will be given paper materials which are designed specifically for their individual targets and needs
- Work may be adapted/additional support given in whole class live teaching where appropriate
- Pupils with SEND will be given access to small group and 1:1 virtual teaching where appropriate
- School and parents may agree that paper materials are more appropriate for their child’s needs.
Remote education for self-isolating pupils
Where individual pupils need to self-isolate, but the majority of their peer group remains in school, how remote education is provided will likely differ from the approach for whole groups. This is due to the challenges of teaching pupils both at home and in school.
If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?
The main difference in this instance is that pupils would not access live teaching only the resources and activities.
Pupils isolating should access their year group’s learning though our virtual school portal: PANDA. This is the curriculum that would be taught in school to all pupils. For pupils who require specialist provision, arrangements will be agreed in consultation with parents/carers, class teacher and SENCO.