Learning at home

Thank you to all the parents/carers for all you are doing to support your child's learning at home. We really appreciate how new and different this is and how much you are juggling. Staff in school are adapting to these new ways of working too. Our aim this week has been to sustain the great momentum with learning that we were feeling across the school in the weeks before the closure. We want to make sure that students have the right amount of interesting, engaging work to do. At the moment we know that some families are finding the amount of work set quite demanding and would like some guidance on how to help students manage it. As we find our way we will become better at getting the balance spot on.

A few points to guide us: 1. The 'Always be Doing' work sent home last week contains lots of work to keep everyone productive for this week, and can be used in the weeks ahead to supplement work set on Show my Homework if required. It doesn't all need to be done - certainly not this week! 2. Students should expect to complete the same amount of work / study for the same number of hours as they would in a normal week. Keeping a routine similar to a school day and homework is a good idea. 3. From Monday 30 March all new work will be set on Show my Homework. It will be set on a weekly timetable for each year group - please see below. Students could do their work following your normal timetable but may well find it easiest to keep on top of the work as it is set, following the timetable below.

Year 7 Monday English & Geography & Art Tuesday Maths & History &DT Wednesday English & PRS & Music Thursday Maths & Drama & Computing Friday Science & Dance & Language

Year 8

Monday Maths & History &DT Tuesday English & Geography & Art Wednesday Maths & Drama & Computing Thursday Science & Dance & Language Friday English & PRS & Music

Year 9

Monday English & PRS & Music (& Dance option) Tuesday Maths & Drama & Computing & Second Language Wednesday Chemistry & Biology & language Thursday Maths & History & DT Friday English & Geography & Art & Physics

Year 10 Monday Option A & English & Biology Tuesday Option B & Maths Wednesday Option C & Physics &PRS Thursday Option D & English Friday Maths & Chemistry

For Y10 option block subjects students should check their own timetable as numerous subjects are placed.

Y12 work will be set by teachers and departments using Show My Homework.

We have been thinking about how to keep our Y11 and 13 students who have had public exams cancelled active, and we have sent some ideas out to parents/carers this week along with subject specific activities; these will be great for all older students but specifically for Y11s who plan to join our sixth form in September.

Many thanks for your fabulous support. Please keep us posted on the learning that your young people are doing using the email address wearehighfields@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk

Mr Cole Deputy Headteacher

Resources for Highfields students learning from home

It is vital that students continue to work if school closes. Whilst there is no substitute for being in a classroom with a teacher, we will set regular work electronically through Show My Homework or via the VLE.

Parents/carers can help us by:  Making sure your child has access to their school email account from home. Ideally this will be on a home (or borrowed) desktop, laptop or tablet although we recognise that some students don’t have access to these and may only able to access email on their (or your) phone.  Making sure your child has somewhere quiet to work. In the event of an extended school closure we would ask that parents/carers try to ensure that conditions at home are conductive to allow 6- 7 hours good quality work each day.

Student learning

Show My Homework: Work is being set through Show My Homework www.showmyhomework.co.uk/ (also accessible via the school website). Students can access Show My Homework using their school username and password. Please ensure your children check Show My Homework regularly as staff will be updating their subject areas .

School Website / VLE:

Resources are available on the school website: www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk

Students can access ‘all users’ from home from the Highfields School website:  Go to Highfields School homepage  Click on ‘portals’  Click on ‘student portal’  Enter school IT username (not email address) and password  Find ‘all users Starkholmes’ or ‘all users Lumsdale’ on the right hand side  Select the appropriate department/folder required.

If students have forgotten their password please email reset@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk specifying your user name and form to request a new password.

‘Always be doing’ Tasks: All students have been given ‘always be doing’ tasks to work through during any time spent at home. Copies of the information have been given to students, emailed home and can be downloaded from our website as follows for each key stage:

Years 7-9 (key stage 3): http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/StudentPDFs/KS3ABD.pdf

Year 10 (key stage 4): http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/ExamPDFs/KS4ABD.pdf