King's Education Online Lent 2021

KING’S EDUCATION ONLINE LENT TERM 2021

KING’S EDUCATION ONLINE

We call our remote teaching and learning programme King’s Education Online and it is designed to be as pacy, inspiring, personalised, and effective as the teaching in classrooms here across our campuses in Canterbury.

The same level of creativity and expression that we value so much at King’s is encouraged as lessons go ahead remotely in a variety of forms, many involving live face-to-face interaction on-screen.

Our teachers are in contact with their pupils via our new VLE which now uses Microsoft Teams, Sharepoint and OneNote, as well as through email. A variety of teaching techniques is used, just as in the classroom, to move students towards a deep understanding of the material and also, more than ever, to develop their independent learning skills, essential for effective distance learning.

All work set as Assignments (Classwork or Prep) will include provision of and links to a range of resources to support effective and efficient learning. Marks and feedback will be provided on work submitted while reports will be sent out to parents/guardians more frequently so they can stay up to date on their child’s engagement and progress.

This document also details other parts of school life replicated online which we hope pupils all over the UK and across the world will participate in and enjoy.

LESSONS ONLINE

Online lesson slots are largely 30 minutes (60 minutes for a double lesson) with short breaks between double lessons to take account of family life and the intensity of working at a screen. These run according to the normal school timetable in the two-week cycle, fitting largely into mornings in the UK but with some afternoon lessons. On other afternoons there are a range of co-curricular activities including rehearsals, clubs, talks and even sports coaching online.

Appropriate academic work will be set in addition to the contact time via the Assignments function within Microsoft Teams, both what might ordinarily be classwork tasks as well as the independent work done away from lessons that generations of King’s pupils have known as Prep. Microsoft OneNote or Class Notebook will be used and the live teaching delivered through Teams, which with regular updates is an excellent platform for academic study in any kind of group. Pupils need access to a PC, Mac, tablet, or laptop to be able to work effectively; a phone screen is too small to support serious study.

Pupils’ interaction during the live lesson times will be encouraged and to support full engagement of all pupils we require that cameras are on throughout lessons. Pupils who cannot attend lessons can in most cases request a video or audio recording. Teachers will note pupils’ engagement with work set in order to monitor each pupil’s progress and brief reports will be sent home every two-and-a-half weeks.

Online Lesson timings for Sixth Form (Shell, Remove, and Fifth lessons switch Monday and Tuesday afternoons & Thursday and Friday afternoons)

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Registration 9am

Period 1

Period 1

Period 1

Period 1

Period 1

9.30am

Period 2

Period 2

Period 2

Period 2

Period 2

Period 3

Period 3

Period 3

Period 4

Period 4

Period 4

Period 5

Period 5

Period 5

BREAK 10.15am

Period 3

Period 3

10.45am

Period 4

Period 4

BREAK 11.30am

Period 5

Period 5

12.00pm

Period 6

Period 6

Period 6

Period 6

Period 6

12.30pm

Period 7a

Period 7a

Period 7a

Period 7a

Period 7a

Period 7b

Tutor period

Period 8

Period 8

Games

LUNCH 1.25pm

Tutor period

1.50pm

Period 8

Games

BREAK 2.25pm

Period 9

Games

Period 9

Period 9

Games

2.50pm

Period 10

Co-curricular Activities

Period 10

Co-curricular Activities

Period 10

3.30pm onwards

Co-curricular Activities

Co-curricular Activities

Co-curricular Activities

Co-curricular Activities

Co-curricular Activities

SHELL, REMOVE & FIFTHS

Shells – Shells will continue to work through the I/GCSE preparatory courses. The I/GCSE choices process opens in the second half of the Lent Term.

Removes – the Removes will continue to work through the I/GCSE courses with regular preps to assess their knowledge and progress. Schemes of Work have been adjusted in some subjects to prioritise the theoretical topics so that the practical work (eg in Art, Design Technology, Sciences) can be experienced once back at school.

Fifths – The teaching of the I/GCSE courses finishes this term as planned and the Fifth Form pupils will sit an exam in each of their I/GCSE subjects, online and invigilated, after Half Term as part of compiling the evidence towards Assessed Grades. There is not complete clarity yet but it is very unlikely that any IGCSE exams will run in the Summer Term but there may be exam-board-set assessments in some form.

The Fifths are reflecting this term on their A level choices, made from a list of over 30 A levels and 10 other courses available to them.

There is a Parent-Teacher consultation meeting, online, in mid-March following the exam results.

SIXTH FORM

6b – 6b pupils continue working on their A level and Pre-U courses and the aim is to make as much progress through brisk lessons and focused prep work as we would usually be doing on site. There are Parent-Teacher consultation meetings, online, in mid-March.

6a – 6a pupils complete each of the A level and Pre-U courses this term, with some structured revision, too, before the week of exams in February. A level exams are cancelled and Pre-U exams are very likely to be, but there may be exam-board-set assessments running in May.

CO-CURRICULAR

Co-curricular activities are offered on five afternoons each week, as well as on Saturday mornings, to encourage pupils of all ages to continue engaging in many different areas of school life. This is an opportunity for pupils to widen the breadth of their activities when under normal circumstances other school commitments would have prevented this from being possible.

Following lessons or early afternoon sport, the Activities Programme starts at 15.30 with at least ten different options each day of up to 60 minutes each. Some activities will run weekly, whilst others could be a one-off session or last just a few weeks. Activities will be live and strongly interactive for those attending. There will be Music and Drama opportunities available, as well as those that are more sport based, cultural or learning a life skill, including opportunities to learn useful culinary or financial skills. Some of the regular offerings will still continue through the term, including Debating and Young Enterprise.

Pupils will be expected to sign up for activities in advance through Microsoft Teams and all pupils are encouraged to take a minimum of one activity each week; many choose more.

All pupils are encouraged to take the opportunity to read, both fiction and non-fiction. The library pages on the VLE give links to some useful sites for audio books for those who would prefer to listen (and perhaps to rest their eyes). Those who have homes well stocked with a variety of books could take advantage of this. https://vle.kings-school.co.uk/library

Games will run on two afternoons a week for each year group, with all pupils encouraged to participate in the live sessions on offer. There will also be some more sport-specific sessions or extra fitness sessions at various times of the week for those who wish to push themselves. There is plenty of free time at the weekends when it is hoped families could exercise together.

Music lessons will continue where possible, remotely, by arrangement with individual teachers around the online lesson slots when pupils are free, and at other times during the week.

As the term progresses there will continue to be a varied and interesting programme of opportunities available for all pupils to access in the co- curricular offering.

PASTORAL CARE & WELL-BEING SUPPORT

We want to assure you that there are many members of the King’s pastoral team who are working remotely and who are available to provide pastoral and wellbeing support to our pupils and their families.

HOUSEMASTERS & HOUSEMISTRESSES (HsMs) The HsM remains responsible for the overall wellbeing and progress of all pupils in their houses. As such the HsM will carry out regular ‘roll calls’ or check in times with their pupils and they will be available to talk to pupils just as they would be if everyone was in house as usual. The HsM will continue to address any issues which are affecting pupils, perhaps there are motivation issues or there may be other ongoing issues which the HsM already knows about. The HsM will continue to be supported by their House Matrons, Deputy HsMs and by a team of tutors in each house and they will be able to assess who in that team is best placed to support any pupil and will involve the relevant person on the team as appropriate. The HsM will continue to talk to parents about any issues, just as they would have done if the pupil was physically with them. The HsM will continue to run house meetings and will inform pupils as to timings of these.

HOUSE MATRONS As outlined above the House Matrons are all working and providing individual support to all members of their houses. They are ensuring that every pupil in the house has one to one interaction on a regular basis, allowing each pupil the opportunity to seek any additional support that they need in any aspect of their schooling.

TUTORS Pupils have regular, timetabled tutorial time giving a chance to chat as a group with their tutor and to talk through any general issues.

THE CHAPLAINCY The Chaplains continue to be available to the whole school community through this difficult time. If a pupil would like to speak with a Chaplain they should email them to arrange a suitable time. Weekly services will continue and the Chaplains will keep everyone informed about access to these.

Rev: lrfc@kings-school.co.uk Father Martin: mcr@kings-school.co.uk

COUNSELLING & LIFE COACHING Our counselling team; Marcus and Jenny Averbeck, Nicky Crouch, and Toni Howes, remain available throughout this period. If a pupil has already been seeing them regularly, or they were on the waiting list at the end of last term, then they will receive a direct email invitation for continued online sessions. These sessions may be held by phone or on Teams, whichever seems to work best for the individual.

If a pupil feels they need counselling support during this difficult time then they are welcome to self-refer via the central counselling email address below and one of the counsellors will respond. Equally, if a parent is concerned about their son or daughter they are welcome to refer via the same email address.

The demand for counselling sessions continues to be high so it is therefore very important that pupils do check their school emails regularly and that they inform their counsellor if they are unable to attend a session, so that the session may be offered to another pupil.

The boundaries around confidentiality and how to make the most of the counselling service will be explained to the pupil when their sessions begin. counselling@kings-school.co.uk Our Life Coach, Nick Phillis, is also working online to support those who need to work through their sense of direction. Pupils are welcome to contact Nick for an appointment directly via nlp@kings-school.co.uk

MEDICAL MATTERS The School’s Health Centre is open with a smaller staff team than usual. The Senior Nurse, Miss Rosie McManus, is available via the email healthcentre@kings-school.co.uk to answer any questions or concerns about any aspect of health care as normal. The Canterbury Medical Practice is able to continue to provide GP appointments online for all of our registered boarding pupils and appointments can be arranged in the usual way via the Health Centre email address.

We are very aware that the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has been life-changing for the entire community. The feelings of fear, sadness, boredom, frustration, loneliness and anxiety, have all been expressed by members of the community over these past months.

It is very clear from surveys carried out by mental health organisations that loss of daily routine and social isolation are the major contributing factors to these feelings and the sudden closure of our school will have been a shock to many.

The ongoing relationship with the Housemaster/mistress and the House Matron will be key to ensuring that all pupils are provided with a good level of emotional support. If a HsM feels that they do not have the expertise for the needs of some individuals then they may ask any member of the Pastoral Team to step in to provide that support.

The Head of Boarding Practice, Mr Matt Thornby, the Pastoral Co-ordinator, Miss Alanna Fraser and The Deputy Head (Pastoral), Miss Tanya Lee can all be contacted in the first instance via pastoral@kings-school.co.uk Tanya Lee remains available for any other matters not covered by those named above.

The Pastoral Team will carry out short regular wellbeing surveys, which we hope that pupils will engage with fully. This will enable us to assess what other issues we need to find ways to support as we move through this unknown territory together.

Pupils are reminded that they already have a ‘wellbeing’ button available to them on the intranet. They should press this button and explore the resources available to them there.

Miss Lee’s tips for mental wellbeing: •

Keep in mind that not everything you read or hear is true.

•

Remember to talk each day to loved ones by whatever means you have available to you.

•

Reflect, take time out and enjoy a hobby, perhaps a new one.

•

Stand up, take screen breaks, get outside if you possibly can.

•

Recognize the importance of sleep, and that you may need more of it at this present time.

•

Remind yourself that ‘this too shall pass’.

Please do also contact Miss Lee if there is a bereavement in your family as she will coordinate with the Senior Chaplain and ensure that all specialist support is available to you at this difficult time.

LIFE MATTERS COURSES Life Matters (Personal, Social, and Health Education) will continue for all year groups as a part of the standard timetable. These lessons will provide time for any concerns to be raised about this new kind of life that we are all living together.

OTHER PASTORAL MATTERS The importance of nutrition and exercise King’s pupils are used to regular meals, which provide them with the well-balanced nutrition which they require to carry out their very busy daily lives, as well as ensuring that everyone takes exercise. It is a known fact that mental health is maintained and supported through nutrition and exercise. It is, therefore, very important that time is found for regular meals, preferably together as a family, and that pupils fully engage with the remote games provision on offer, as well as perhaps taking up some new form of exercise which is possible in their environment.

The importance of sleep Numerous studies have informed us over the years that teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night.

Studies coming out at present suggest that in the current climate teenagers should be sleeping towards the higher end of that, possibly around 10 hours per night. Good sleep ensures numerous benefits; improved concentration, reduced anxiety, improved immune system amongst other things. It is, therefore, more essential than ever that pupils keep in routine and sleep well.

RULES & EXPECTATIONS

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Pupils should be ready to start their day with registration in house groups, followed by any assemblies / tutorial time as instructed and then period 1. Registers will be taken as normal at times when pupils are expected to be interacting in lessons or any other required school activity

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Pupils should be dressed appropriately (as should everyone else in the household who may be observed via webcam) and be aware of what may be visible in the background. If necessary pupils should use the option on Microsoft Teams to pick a neutral background

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Standard classroom behaviour is expected from all participants. In particular, content may only be shared that is appropriate and directly related to the subject. Pupils should be considerate of others when interacting online and not talk over each other or interrupt inappropriately

•

A pupil who is ill or unable to join classes should try to ensure their Housemaster or Housemistress is aware of this and can sign them out for the day

•

Pupils are expected to have their cameras on during all lessons and to actively participate when asked to do so. Pupils should follow any instructions given with regard to muting themselves or participating in small-group breakout discussions.

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Where possible, pupils should undertake any online lessons, tutorials or co-curricular activities in a public space in their house and not their bedroom. We are mindful that there may be other children undertaking online lessons and adults working from home so this may not always be possible. All pupils are expected to be at a desk or table when doing lessons.

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The room should preferably be free from distractions and the rest of the family should be aware that a lesson is taking place to avoid interruptions.

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Pupils should have pen, paper and relevant materials ready before lessons start, and mobile phones should only be used when permission is given.

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Pupils must ensure that any communication with other pupils and staff as part of the school day is responsible and sensible.

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Pupils should be aware that if using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and other applications required for use by the school, the lessons and their content may be recorded and individual use can be monitored.

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Pupils must not record or take photos of other pupils or teachers during any online teaching sessions, nor share lessons publicly. Any breach will invoke a disciplinary response in line with the School Rules and the Behaviour Policy

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Pupils must not deliberately browse, download, upload or forward material that could be considered offensive or illegal.

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Pupils are reminded that the Acceptable Use Policy still applies.

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Any pupil who needs to miss a lesson eg for a music lesson, should ask permission from the relevant teacher in advance

Where teachers feel pupils have not given due consideration to the above rules and expectations, this will be reported to the Housemaster or Housemistress in the first instance so they can address the situation with pupils or parents as required.

Teachers will be encouraged still to give Bene Fecits and Commendations where appropriate for impressive work.

It is understood that some pupils are in time zones that will make live interaction at all times of the ‘normal’ school day much harder. These pupils should communicate any such issues with their Housemaster or Housemistress in the first instance so that due consideration can be given to this by teachers.

SUPPORT FOR PARENTS

We understand that the current situation will be stressful for our parents at times, as you juggle working from home while supporting your child’s education, together with the additional uncertainties that the COVID-19 pandemic brings. Do remember that we are here to support the whole of the King’s family. Please speak to your child’s Housemaster or Housemistress if there are additional factors that we need to consider and we will do all we reasonably can to help.

E-SAFETY At school we use numerous different online systems to ensure our pupils are kept safe. We do, therefore, encourage parents to ensure that they have: •

Set filters on their home connection

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Checked their parental controls via their broadband provider

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Checked that they have suitable anti-virus protection in place

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Ensured that their son or daughter is ‘broadcasting’ from a suitable place or blurred their background, and that they are always suitably dressed when participating in any school activity

For advice on setting up controls offered by your home internet provider, we recommend the UK Safer Internet Centre.

For more general advice on parental controls, the NSPCC, in partnership with O2, provide a very good checklist.

In addition, the O2 NSPCC Advice Line offers advice on apps, sites, games and online safety (0808 800 5002).

This document was created by: Peter Roberts, Headmaster Liz Worthington, Senior Deputy Head eaw@kings-school.co.uk Luke Bartlett, Deputy Head (Academic) lgb@kings-school.co.uk Tanya Lee, Deputy Head (Pastoral) pastoral@kings-school.co.uk Greg Hunter, Deputy Head (Co-curricular) gah@kings-school.co.uk Ian MacEwen, Deputy Head (Admissions & Marketing) ism@kings-school.co.uk

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