MR SIMON CARTER - HEAD OF TGSB

Simon Carter is the Head of School of The Green School for Boys (TGSB) - part of the Green School Trust, based opposite the Green School for Girls at Busch Corner in Isleworth. With schools returning they are reflecting on the impact of the lockdown and how best to support children as they come back to the classroom.

BACK TO SCHOOL?

As we come to the end of what we hope has been the last Covid-19 lockdown, primary and secondary schools and colleges across Hounslow are getting themselves ready to welcome back their students and are looking at ways to manage the impact of another protracted period of time away from the structure and routine of the school environment.

The rhythm of the school year affects us all - students, staff and parents. We become accustomed to the routines and practices of our schools and our lives move to the rhythm of the school year. This cycle helps the students to manage their learning and to cope with the pressures that school creates for them.

When we returned to school in September last year most of our boys were happy to be back at school and quickly got back into the normal routine. However, after such a long break, it was clear that some of our students were struggling to readapt to the rhythm of school life and had to work to re-learn what was expected of them in school. We, like many schools, did a lot of work on supporting the mental health of the young people in our care so that we could get them focusing back onto their learning as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, almost as soon as we were back up and running, the third lockdown arrived and again we were forced to close physically and had to move to teaching remotely. At TGSB we learnt much from our previous lockdown experiences and, as a result, were able to develop and improve our remote learning, moving to live lessons in line with the new Government expectations. Although this brought with it a whole new range of challenges in terms of access to technology.

Digital poverty is another of the new terms that has crept into our vocabulary during the pandemic. It is used to describe a lack of access to digital resources, including devices and the internet, or the lack of digital literacy. With schools moving to remote learning and live lessons, the disparity between families who do and do not have access to laptops and a good internet service has been brought into sharp focus. At TGSB we have loaned devices to 15% of the boys at the school. Most of these have come from existing school supply. These loans have been supported by some laptops provided by the Government. However, with this scheme still leaving families short, Hounslow Council have supported schools by purchasing devices and mobile internet dongles themselves.

The local community has also rallied around schools. The Hounslow Education Partnership has worked with a charity Hounslow’s Promise (hounslowspromise.org) to use their ConnectingKids@Home programme to provide additional reconditioned laptops and to look at others ways of assisting families during this challenging time.

This support has helped to ensure that many more children in the local area have had the equipment they need to access their learning from home. When this has not been possible, or where children have struggled to work at home, schools have been inviting children in to school, alongside the children of critical workers, so that additional support can be offered and to make use of the school’s digital infrastructure.

During this lockdown, digital lessons have looked very different. At TGSB we have moved to a virtual school day with the boys following their normal timetable whilst at home. For us this has all been run using the Google Education Suite, whilst other schools have run lessons through Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

The boys have logged in for virtual registration first thing in the morning with their tutors, so that we can monitor who is up and ready for the day and who needs a wake up call. Lessons have then run throughout the day in a mixture of formats. Some lessons have been live with the teacher working with the boys for the full lesson, whilst others involve a teacher-led introduction with the boys then working independently through tasks. Tasks are set and handed in through the virtual Google Classroom, allowing us to monitor the progress that the boys have been making.

Many of the boys have coped brilliantly with this learning format, making great progress and getting

themselves into a good place to pick things up quickly on themselves into a good place to pick things up quickly on their return to school. their return to school.

For others it has been a struggle for a whole host of

For others it has been a struggle for a whole host of different reasons. These are the students who will need different reasons. These are the students who will need specific support to catch up and to ensure that any gaps specific support to catch up and to ensure that any gaps in their learning are filled as quickly as possible. This is in their learning are filled as quickly as possible. This is going to be the first job for every school once the going to be the first job for every school once the students return. Alongside the work in school is the students return. Alongside the work in school is the National Tutoring Programme where students are able to National Tutoring Programme where students are able to get access to academic tutors and mentors to help them get access to academic tutors and mentors to help them catch up. Schools like TGSB have also looked at catch up. Schools like TGSB have also looked at appointing their own academic tutors to carry out appointing their own academic tutors to carry out additional support teaching during the school week, once additional support teaching during the school week, once the boys return to school. We are confident that once the boys return to school. We are confident that onceback our pupils are back in the classroom we will be able back our pupils are back in the classroom we will be able to improve things quickly and help get them back on to improve things quickly and help get them back on track. track.

There can be no doubt that this lockdown has been

There can be no doubt that this lockdown has been incredibly challenging for everyone. Those of you with incredibly challenging for everyone. Those of you with school age children at home may well have been battling school age children at home may well have been battling with the competing demands of doing your own work with the competing demands of doing your own work from home whilst trying to oversee home schooling. Youfrom home whilst trying to oversee home schooling. You will have been there trying to help solve that tricky maths will have been there trying to help solve that tricky maths problem or scratching your head as to what is a fronted problem or scratching your head as to what is a fronted adverbial. You will also have seen how challenging it has adverbial. You will also have seen how challenging it hasbeen for students to be spending so much time on been for students to be spending so much time on screens seeing their friends, but lacking that personal screens seeing their friends, but lacking that personal contact that we all rely on so much. Schools know that contact that we all rely on so much. Schools know that our families will have done the best that they can under our families will have done the best that they can under their own personal circumstances. their own personal circumstances.

As we prepare for school to reopen we know that

As we prepare for school to reopen we know that there are going to be many challenges for us to deal with. there are going to be many challenges for us to deal with. We will work with our students and do all we can to make We will work with our students and do all we can to make sure that the pandemic doesn't have the damaging long sure that the pandemic doesn't have the damaging longterm effects that have been talked about in the media term effects that have been talked about in the media and to give them the best possible future that we can. and to give them the best possible future that we can.

FREE SCHOOL MEAL SUPPORT FREE SCHOOL MEAL SUPPORT WHAT’S BEHIND THE WALL?

One of the challenges of the pandemic has been the lack of access to secondary schools for the Year 6 pupils and their families. The Autumn is usually full of open events allowing families to visit Hounslow schools and to try and find out more about what goes on. At TGSB we have not been able to welcome any of our current or future families to see our fantastic new school building and we hope that as restrictions ease we can finally welcome visitors. You will have seen the wall being rebuilt if you drive past Busch Corner regularly, but If you have seen the news or read the papers you will

If you have seen the news or read the papers you will not have been able to miss the reports about the impact not have been able to miss the reports about the impact of Covid-19 on child poverty. The TW7 and 8 area has of Covid-19 on child poverty. The TW7 and 8 area hasbeen no exception to this impact and the contraction of been no exception to this impact and the contraction of local employers like Heathrow has not helped.local employers like Heathrow has not helped.

Schools have been dealing with more safeguarding

Schools have been dealing with more safeguarding referrals and have been trying to provide as much support referrals and have been trying to provide as much support as possible to our families. Hounslow Council and the as possible to our families. Hounslow Council and the Hounslow Education Partnership (HEP) have been Hounslow Education Partnership (HEP) have been working with schools across the Borough during this working with schools across the Borough during thislockdown to support the Free School Meals programme,lockdown to support the Free School Meals programme,They have helped schools order vouchers for their They have helped schools order vouchers for theirfamilies in term time and have provided additional families in term time and have provided additional support during the school holidays. As a school we know support during the school holidays. As a school we know that many of our families have been adversely affected that many of our families have been adversely affected with parents being furloughed or made redundant and so with parents being furloughed or made redundant and so we know this support has been greatly appreciated. we know this support has been greatly appreciated.

WHAT’S BEHIND THE WALL?

One of the challenges of the pandemic has been the lack of access to secondary schools for the Year 6 pupils and their families. The Autumn is usually full of open events allowing families to visit Hounslow schools and to try and find out more about what goes on. At TGSB we have not been able to welcome any of our current or future families to see our fantastic new school building and we hope that as restrictions ease we can finally welcome visitors. You will have seen the wall being rebuilt if you drive past Busch Corner regularly, but what’s behind the wall has remained something of a mystery...

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The Green School for Boys Twickenham Road, Isleworth, TW7 6AU

Telephone: 0203 019 8444

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