Learning from home

FAQs

Q: How does my child get started in accessing work?

A: Everybody should log on to Show My Homework by 8.45 am. All students should know how to do this as this our platform for all homework. If anybody is unsure how to do this watch this video, which is on the school website. It also explains how to access school email and our

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) https://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/how-to-learn-from-home/

Q: How will learning be organised over the next 6 weeks?

A: We had a lot of success with ‘remote education’ during lockdown last year and will apply all we learned to our arrangements for the next period of learning from home. Many aspects of our approach will be familiar to those in Y8-13 but we are making a few changes to enable all students to learn as effectively as possible. In essence we are aiming for ‘business as normal as it can be’.

The structure of our remote learning will mirror your child’s normal school timetable. This clear, familiar structure will help students to know what is expected of them and when.

Q: How is the timetable my child will be following organised?

A: All students are expected to return to remote learning.

To help structure each day students should follow their usual timetable. This comprises of 3 x 100 minute lessons with breaks in between each:

Lesson 1 8.45am - 10.25am Lesson 2 10.50am – 12.30pm Lesson 3 1.40pm - 3.20pm

We run a ‘2 week timetable’, meaning that students have different patterns of lessons according to which week we are in. Week beginning 11 January is ‘Week A’. We then go back to Week B again on Monday 18 January, and so on. Work will be set according to this timetable

Q: How much work should my child be doing each day?

A: It is crucial that students in all year groups keep on learning. A lot is expected of them as responsible learners, and their approach to learning will be key to their success in the coming weeks. They should be busy and working hard during the school day. Work set should be sufficient to keep most students learning for 100 minutes. If it is completed much more quickly it is likely that it has been rushed or is incomplete. If it is taking much longer than 100 minutes students should reach a logical stopping point and inform their teacher.

Q: Where will my child find their work for each lesson?

A: Work will be set on Show My Homework and will be available for the start time of each lesson.

It should be completed within lesson time. Work for lessons will take different forms and may include a link to join a ‘live session’.

Q: My child doesn’t have access to a suitable device for learning, like a laptop. Can you help?

A: Yes, we will help as far as we can. We surveyed students in the autumn term to get a good picture of need, and are prioritizing getting devices to students who do not have any access to a device at home. Please contact your child’s Year Manager if your child does not have access to a suitable device.

Q: What form will work and lessons take?

A: Our experience of remote teaching and learning, along with the research that has taken place in this area, shows that an approach based on a mix of activities works best. The most important ingredients are some crucial general principles rather than specific forms of activity. Our teachers know that remote teaching and learning works best when the following can be provided: Clear and full instructions, quality resources, learning activities with clear outcomes, support structures and ‘models’, checks on understanding, feedback where possible. Some lessons may include short or longer periods of ‘live’ teaching via video conferencing platforms like Zoom. These can be a useful part of a mixed approach that could include many other ways of working. We know that in the recent period of school closure for Y7 and 8 many students worked collaboratively with each other when not under the direct supervision of their teacher. This was an excellent strategy.

Q: What is happening to exams now? What does all this mean to students in Y11 and 13?

A: In his announcement on Monday 4 January the Prime Minister said that most GCSE and A level exams will be cancelled this year, and that the Department for Education will be working with partners to decide on alternatives. We will wait for further information and share it with you as we get it. The announcement is very likely to mean that all the work that exam year groups have been doing, and will continue to do, will be very important. IT IS CRUCIAL THAT Y11 AND 13

STUDENTS CONTINUE TO WORK TO THE LIMITS OF THEIR POTENTIAL BECAUSE:

1.

2. We don’t know the details of how grades will be determined but it looks certain that it will not be through final exams. It is more likely to draw on on-going assessment. Students need to ensure that they give their teachers evidence of their skills/ knowledge in that subject in order that the teacher can use this to inform their honest professional judgements.

Learning that is done over the coming weeks will have huge value – not just for final grades, but primarily because it is always good to learn things for their own sake. The skills/knowledge currently being acquired will be needed in future life whether this is on apprenticeships, college courses, university degrees or in the workplace. With unemployment rising it is extremely important that Highfields students prepare themselves for a competitive work environment. Examinations are there to test and certificate our knowledge- they are NOT a primary reason for learning. Learning about the world around us, and our place in it is a key responsibility for any person who, one day, wants to make a positive contribution to their community, be this local or global. We have this aspiration for all our young people.