Remote Curriculum - Parents & Carers Handbook

Piper Hill SEN Specialist School Wythenshawe Part of the Prospere Trust Special School Cluster

Piper Hill

Remote Curriculum Parent / Carer Handbook

Contents 1. What is a Remote Learning Offer?

2. DFE Advice 3. Data: Key finding summary 4. Guidance for Home Learning 5. Troubleshooting Q&A 6. Useful Links and APPS Annex A : Data (parent/carer survey)

Purpose of this document: This booklet will provide information about how Piper Hill will help support you in ensuring that your child maintains their academic progress and wellbeing during any school closure or period of self isolation.

1. What is a remote learning offer?

1.1 Remote learning provides an opportunity for students and teachers to remain connected and engaged with the content while working from their homes. Opportunities for remote learning have become essential within the within the pandemic and teachers have adapted quickly to ensure high quality work has been sent home, both in lockdown and over periods of self-isolation.

1.2 The key aim of the remote curriculum is to keep students engaged and actively learning when not in school. The Piper Hill Remote Curriculum is inclusive and accessible to all students, whilst providing a balanced and coherent curriculum offer that can be delivered at home so that there is a seamless provision between home and school and any gaps in learning are minimised. At Piper Hill, we aim to provide all students with excellent learning opportunities in order to limit any negative impact on their overall education.

2. DFE Advice 2.1 With so many options available to support remote education, one of the most important decisions schools are making is to keep it simple, making sure pupils, parents, carers and teachers know what is being asked of them. The exact approaches adopted by each school will vary depending on the needs of its pupils and school context. There is no single right answer. Transitioning to remote learning can keep students on track so that when they return to physical school environments, they will not need to complete a lot of make-up work to be ready for any scheduled assessments. Many of the requirements in a traditional classroom environment will be in play for remote learning environments, and the goal is to adhere to as many state and local requirements as possible.

2.2 DFE Key points: 





Education is not optional – All pupils receive a high-quality education that promotes their development and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

The curriculum remains broad and ambitious. All pupils continue to be taught a wide range of subjects, maintaining their choices for further study and employment Remote education – where needed, this is high quality, safe and aligns as closely as possible with in school provision. Schools and other settings continue to build their capability to educate pupils remotely where this is needed

3. Data: Key finding summary 3.1 Why have we conducted inhouse research? Like other schools across the country, Piper Hill is facing the challenge of delivering a coherent curriculum to pupils both at home and in school, while maintaining social distancing and safety for staff and pupils. Pupil and parent/carer questionnaires have been devised to support internal research which has been utilised to underpin the remote curriculum offer, thus ensuring that guidance reflects not only the advice given by the DFE, but also the particular characteristics and context of our own school and wider community.

Parent/career      

   

79% of parents thought the work completed during lockdown was useful 80% of parents said their child was able to access work from home 85% of parents/carers can access the internet at home Most parents/carers prefer paper copies of work via the post (not electronic versions that they need to print) Most parents/carers prefer contact by phone rather than video messages Parents/carers thought that students really enjoyed (in order): completing worksheets, using the internet, life skills, watching videos linked to work, sports.

70% would like video teaching sessions 82% would like a list of links to electronic learning programs and activities 90% of parents/carers would like more activities linked to life skills 89% of parents/carers would like a handbook to support home learning

Students         

Next Steps      

Continue to send home paper copies of work Send out letter to update system with most up to date email contact and permissions for video teaching sessions Share information with teachers regrading high engagement activities Create a list of electronic learning programs and activities for parents Life skills to be a key component of curriculum offer Create a handbook to support home learning.

67% of students said they completed work at home 32% said they brought work back in for their teachers Activities students enjoyed most (in order) sports, arts and crafts, worksheets, life skills, practical work.

Students found written work most difficult to complete 53% of students said they had help from an adult 52% would like help from their teacher when working from home 76% would like to contact school friends when away from school 76% would like a timetable to work from 66% want to bring their work back into school

Next Steps   

 

Encourage students to bring back work completed at home Share information with teachers regarding activities students find most engaging Teachers to be mindful that a large proportion of students are completing activities without adult support and to plan appropriately for this.

Teachers to plan for whole class sessions to enable students to stay connected to their peers.

Ensure timetables are sent home along with work.

Parent Carers Remote Curriculum Plan Report Absence to school — Ensure you let the staff know that it is a Covid related absence. Staff will ask you to explain the details of the absence (confirmed Covid case, awaiting a test, symptomatic etc). If anyone in your household is symptomatic, student must not attend school.

If isolating, government guidance is clear that you/your child should not leave home/garden for any reason.

Awaiting test in family or self isolating— length of absence unknown (rest of class in school)

Week 1 timetable, teacher will send work home via post and also add to Seesaw. Minimum of one contact point in the week via TEAMS video or phone call (Video calls will not be appropriate for all students– video consent forms must be signed via seesaw).

Positive test in family or self isolating for 14 days (rest of class in school)

Week 1 and 2 timetables and work will be sent home and uploaded to Seesaw. Minimum of one contact point in the week via week TEAMS video or phone call with class teacher (Video calls will not be appropriate for all students– video consent forms must be signed via seesaw).

Burst bubble—whole class including class teacher and TAs are isolating for 14 days

Week 1 and 2 timetables and work will be sent home and uploaded to Seesaw. Weekly teacher slot via Microsoft Teams per day.

Welfare / progress check scheduled for those who cannot access video sessions. ((Video calls will not be appropriate for all students– video consent forms must be signed via seesaw).

Student work will be posted or hand delivered on the same day as absence is reported/bubble burst. Additionally, all work will be uploaded immediately to Seesaw, where you can also find Microsoft Teams meetings links and consent form which must be completed. Your teacher will complete a progress call/video meeting which will be scheduled on the timetable. If you have not received work within the first three days, notify the class teacher. If unable to access Seesaw, in the first few days of isolation (before posted work arrives), students can complete PE challenges, ILS challenges and work through the wide range of online learning tasks and challenges (outlined at the end of this document). If you are unable to access online tasks and activities please notify the class teacher who will be able to support in the interim.

Keep all work safe and ready for return to class once the student starts back at school, work will be stuck into books and marked. Upload any work completed to Seesaw, it will ne reviewed and annotated by class team.

4. Guidance for home learning Guidance for Home Learning At Piper Hill we are committed to supporting you to help your child continue with their academic learning during this period of uncertainty. We will provide all of our students with excellent learning opportunities in order to limit any negative impact on their overall education.

How will work be provided?

We have listened to feedback from parents and carers, the survey clearly indicated that paper versions of work sent via post was the most accessible way for you to receive work. In addition to this, work can be accessed immediately via individual Seesaw user name and logins. Microsoft Teams video meeting links will also be available via the Seesaw app/ website. Video sessions will not be appropriate for all students and teachers will use their knowledge and expertise to guide this process.

What other ways will you keep in touch?

Our school website will be the main point of reference for all students and family members. Teachers will also set up regular Microsoft Teams video meetings which will be timetabled (where appropriate). We have sent out live video permission letters, as sessions will take place in groups and other students will be accessing the videos simultaneously. Additionally, for those families unable to access video sessions, teachers will make weekly calls to check student progress and welfare. The school website has lots of information about the curriculum offer as well as information related to COVID19. Further on in this pack we have included a comprehensive list of all the apps/websites we think may be of use to you.

     

What type of work will my child receive?

All lessons have been carefully planned by class teachers to allow students continued access to the planned curriculum. Student work will vary greatly between and within classes as work will be differentiated and tailored to individuals. Students will access work that links closely with their own personalised targets.

What can parents/carers do to help?       

 

Piper Hill working from home lessons will include:    

A two week timetable in which all subjects are covered Morning sessions which focus on key curriculum subjects Afternoon sessions which focus on high engagement subjects (highlighted in the pupil survey)

Lunch and break time integrated within timetables Video teaching slots delivered by the class team Progress call slots Independent living skills session ideas Resources which are instantly accessible via Seesaw Microsoft Teams video sessions (where appropriate) links and timings found on Seesaw.

  

Log in to Seesaw—give consent to access Microsoft Teams Video Provide your child with a quiet space to study Support students with accessing Seesaw and Microsoft Teams links Remove any distractions (TV, mobile phone, iPad etc) Use the timetable to help your child to organise their day, including time for breaks Restrict other activities (such as gaming, watching tv, socialising online) during the timetabled hours Remind your child about our focus: it is important that they do not lose out on valuable curriculum learning during this period at home Remind your child that all work must be their best effort and must be well presented Ask them to show you the work they have completed and talk through what they have learned Give regular reminders that work will be returned to school and marked by the class teacher Stay positive—give lots of praise and encouragement Join the video sessions if you can Give the teacher regular progress updates via weekly calls (if you are unable to access video sessions).

5. Troubleshooting Q&A My child won’t do any work and I’m really struggling We will not put any pressure on you to complete work, we do not want any relationships to break down. Keep an open dialogue with the class teacher who will offer support. We appreciate that working from home and being out of routine is very difficult and challenging for our students, remember, we are on hand to help.

Can I change the timetable and do it in a different order?

I can’t find the Microsoft Teams link to videos: If your student is accessing video sessions, the Microsoft Teams links are located within a document labelled ‘Microsoft Teams links’ on Seesaw.

If you cannot locate this, speak to your class teacher. Live video sessions will only be offered if appropriate. You must sign the consent for and upload to Seesaw.

My child is getting all the work wrong, what should I do?

It is good to get things wrong, as it the first step to new learning. Don’t correct the work, your teacher will want to know that the student found this work tricky and will cover it again in class.

Make sure you let the teacher know in the progress /video call. If you can support by correcting any misconceptions—that’s great, just make sure the work completed is their own.

Yes, you can change the timetable to fit in with your own routines and schedules. We’d like to encourage students to complete all the lessons, we appreciate this may not always be possible, any work completed will be celebrated.

Do I have to mark the work?

Do I need to post the work back?

We appreciate that a significant proportion of parents are not able to designate the time they’d like to home learning. Teachers are aware of this and wherever possible they will endeavour to set work that can be completed independently.

We really want the work to come back, it will be stuck in books and marked by the class teacher. You don’t need to post the work, you can return the work with the student when they start back at school.

I/my child isn’t well - does work still need to be completed?

No, if you are unwell it is important to focus on your health and getting better.

My son’s timetable looks really different to one of the kids in the other class, why is this?

No, all work will be marked by the class team when it is returned to school.

I have to work and I don’t have the time to help my child, I am worried he isn’t doing a good job.

I think the work is too easy/hard.

Are there any quick wins/ways to make the work better suited to the level your child is working at? Could you make the task simpler/more challenging. If this isn’t possible, report back to the teacher.

My child won’t join in with all the virtual video sessions

Access groups vary significantly at Piper Hill, teachers utilise their expertise to create class timetables to suit the needs of individual learners.

We understand that behaviour and willingness to participate will vary daily. Please don’t worry if you miss some of the sessions for this reason.

I can’t access the internet to join video sessions, what can I do?

Getting my child to complete work is having a negative impact on our relationship/causing behaviours.

You can still speak to the class teacher in the timetabled progress call time. These calls are really important as it is a chance to report back on progress and welfare.

I haven’t received any work in the post We aim to post out all work within 24 hours of a burst bubble/isolation. Work packs are hand delivered or sent via second class post. If you are concerned that you haven’t received anything, please contact the school who will support with this.

It is important to maintain positive relationships, some behaviours can be very challenging to manage at home. Try to engage students with the activities and sessions that are highly rewarding.

You/your child's mental health and physical wellbeing should be prioritised over the completion of work.

I haven’t heard from the teacher, what should I do?

I can’t get out of the house to get food and we have to isolate, I don’t have any support, what can I do?

Teachers will only make progress/welfare calls to parents/carers not accessing virtual video sessions. If you haven’t had any communication with the class team, we really encourage an open dialogue, you can contact the school any time within school hours.

Contact the school., we can support in a variety of ways including referrals if

I've lost my Seesaw login and user name: Contact class teacher

6. Useful Links and APPS APPS Dyslexic Learners

Sound Literacy Dyslexia Quest Happy Maths Phonics dyseggxia dyslexics-dictionary

Autistic Learners

Sight Words Sequences for Autism See Touch Learn Words on Wheels Verbal Me Autism i help autism-dtt-shapes autism letters Speech with Milo

Visually impaired learners

Via-by-braille-institute Dragon Diction Light Detector Colour ID TapTapSee Be My Eyes Talking Calculator Say Text Access Note visual-brailler

Learners with Writing Difficulties

The Writing Machine Write Words Handwriting Letter School Alpha Writer Pocket Phonics Word Magic

Useful Websites to Support Home learning English: https://www.researchify.co.uk/audiobooks.html https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/find-a-book/library-page https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/ https://www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/ https://uk.ixl.com/ela/ https://funenglishgames.com/writinggames.html https://www.phonicsbloom.com/ https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games https://www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/literacy.html Maths: http://ww7.topmarks.com/ Science: https://www.jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk/resources/challenge-cards.html? gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6P6JvOKT7AIVhobVCh3NAQxZEAAYASAAEgLn2fD_BwE https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zdp4382 https://wowscience.co.uk/?sfid=27&_sfm_resource_type=Games https://www.jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk/resources/challenge-cards.html? gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6P6JvOKT7AIVhobVCh3NAQxZEAAYASAAEgLn2fD_BwE BBC Bitesize games https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zdp4382 Wow Science – has info, challenges and games https://wowscience.co.uk/?sfid=27&_sfm_resource_type=Games Music: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/bring-the-noise/key-stage-1-music/zvnhxyc http://www.musicgames.net/livegames/orchestra/orchestra2.htm http://resources.hwb.wales.gov.uk/VTC/2008-09/music/ogd-new-appraising-ks2/ en/index.html MFL: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zhyb4wx https://rockalingua.com/games https://www.spanish-games.net/ Citizenship https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zmpfb9q https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zqtnvcw https://www.actionaid.org.uk/school-resources/search/s/subject/0-2377/page

https://www.valuesmoneyandme.co.uk/family-learning

Further list of Apps by need: http://redbridgeserc.org/resources

History: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zkqmhyc http://horrible-histories.co.uk/ https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/category/discover/history/ PSHE: Emotions: BBC TEACH; Oak Academy – higher; lower Road Safety: BMW; Handwashing: Learn Alberta; Personal Hygiene: Turtle Diary; Dental Hygiene: Colgate Personal Care: Oak Academy (higher); Lower Friends: Oak Academy (higher; Lower Families: Oak Academy – my family; Oak Academy – different types Healthy Eating: Oak Academy Safety in the home: Oak Academy Safe Relationships (needs trusted adult to supervise): Oak Academy Food Tech: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?q=healthy%20eating% 20games http://archive.foodafactoflife.org.uk/QuickLinks.aspx? contentType=2&PageIndex=5 https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/category/all-family-kids http://www.nourishinteractive.com/nutrition-games/childrenseducational-healthy-food-games Forest School: www.wildlifegardener.co.ukwww.rspb.org.uk https:// www.rspb.org.uk/search/?q=wildlife+explorers www.animalfactguide.com Computing: https://blockly.games Art https://theimaginationtree.com www.pawprintbadges.co.uk Geography www.natgeokids.com/uk/ General: https://www.helpkidzlearn.com/ (Free 14 day log in) https://chatterpack.net/ https://www.thenational.academy

Annex A : Data Sample Parent / Carer Survey