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Cirencester Deer Park School

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Remote Learning Plan

What if...?

Pupils and staff at Deer Park have now settled into our new routines and we are all learning to live with uncertainty. We have been very impressed by our pupils, their positive attitudes to learning and readiness to adapt to change. They are coping well within their year group ‘bubbles’ and with our staggered breaks and lunch times. In spite of these differences, it is abundantly evident that they are pleased to be back in school.

It has been a privilege to drop into our home bases and listen to the learning that is taking place. I am extremely grateful to our teachers for their innovative planning and resourcefulness. We are all learning alongside each other in truly unprecedented circumstances.

Chiquita Henson, Headteacher

Since 3 September 2020, our pupils’ attendance has consistently been above the county and national averages. The government guidance is unequivocal: attendance at school is mandatory.

However, we appreciate that some members of our school community may need to self-isolate for up to 14 days because they have had symptoms of coronavirus or a positive test result themselves or because they are a close contact of someone who has a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19). Similarly, should we have a confirmed case of COVID-19 within our school, we are aware that we may be instructed to send a small group of pupils home or close an entire year group. Furthermore, should Cirencester become subject to national intervention we may be required to introduce a rota model or total lockdown.

Therefore, as a school and in line with government guidance, we are preparing for every eventuality and we remain determined to maintain the rhythm and momentum of learning. We are a resilient and creative organisation and, whatever the circumstances, we expect all of our pupils to continue to engage in their learning and stay connected with us. We will continue to challenge them to achieve more!

Our staff and pupils responded positively to the remote learning provision we made from March to July 2020 and we saw high levels of engagement. Our teachers adapted to teaching in MS Teams, totalling over 2,900 live lessons in this period, and we plan to build on these strong foundations, continue to support their training and develop the use of this resource alongside Show My Homework.

Our remote learning plan is summarised below:

Remote learning support for individual pupils who are self-isolating 

Action: A personalised programme of study will be put in place to ensure the pupil can keep up with what is being taught in school.

Provision: Lesson information will be available in MS Teams and Show My Homework. An individual pupil who is self-isolating will be able to:

  • Find lesson materials, such as any PowerPoint presentations used by the teacher, resources and assignments in MS Teams;
  • Access recommended websites and licenced software;
  • Complete any tasks or assignments set for him/her and his/her peers in MS Teams and Show My Homework.

Remote learning support for small groups of pupils who are self-isolating 

Action: Those in the small group of pupils required to self-isolate for 14 days will be expected to follow their normal school timetables each day as closely as possible and complete activities and tasks set by their teachers. We will review their needs and the provision we make for them individually and as a group.

Provision: Lesson information will be available in MS Teams and Show My Homework. Pupils who are self-isolating in these groups will be able to:

  • Find lesson materials, such as any PowerPoint presentations used by the teacher, resources and assignments in MS Teams;
  • Access recommended websites and licenced software;
  • Complete any tasks or assignments set for him/her and his/her peers in MS Teams and Show My Homework;
  • Attend live lessons in MS Teams, but only where there are common lessons and their normal class teachers are available because of their group’s absence from school.

Remote learning support for pupils in the event of a partial closure or rota model  

Action: In the event of partial closure, and for the period of time pupils may be required to learn from home in a rota model, we will offer all pupils in the affected year groups access to live lessons in MS Teams where possible.

Provision: Parents and pupils will be advised of the provision for blended learning that we will make via our website and weekly e-newsletter. Lesson information will be available in MS Teams and Show My Homework. Live lessons in MS Teams will be scheduled according to a revised timetable. Pupils learning from home in these circumstances will be able to:

  • Attend live lessons in MS Teams as per revised timetable;
  • Find lesson materials, such as any pre-recorded learning sequences, narrated or simple PowerPoint presentations used by the teacher, resources and assignments in MS Teams; 
  • Access recommended websites and licenced software;
  • Complete any tasks or assignments set for him/her and his/her peers in MS Teams and Show My Homework.

Remote learning support for pupils in the event of a local or national lockdown

Action: We will adjust our timetable to ensure all pupils learning at home attend a broad range of live lessons and a weekly session with their tutors in MS Teams. This will enable them to continue with their learning and stay connected with the school and their peers.

Provision: Parents and pupils will be advised of the provision we will make via our website and weekly e-newsletter. Lesson information will be available in MS Teams and Show My Homework. All pupils learning from home and in school will also will be able to:

  • Attend live lessons in MS Teams as per revised timetable;
  • Find lesson materials, such as any pre-recorded learning sequences, narrated or simple PowerPoint presentations used by the teacher, resources and assignments in MS Teams; 
  • Access recommended websites and licenced software;
  • Complete any tasks or assignments set for him/her and his/her peers in MS Teams and Show My Homework;
  • Engage with their class teachers/tutors through MS Teams and by using their school email addresses.

Provision for vulnerable children and young people and children of critical workers 

Action: In the event of a partial closure, rota model or lockdown, we will remain open only for vulnerable children and young people, including those with EHCPs, and the children of  critical workers.

Provision: Vulnerable pupils and young people, including those with EHCPs and children of critical workers attending our on-site provision during a partial closure, rota model or lockdown, will be allocated to a year group or Key Stage ‘bubble’. They will follow a timetable that provides access to blended learning. This will include face to face lessons taught by specialist teachers and the opportunity to participate in remote learning and live lessons alongside their peers.

 


In line with the government expectations for remote education, we will continue to

  • use a curriculum sequence that allows access to high-quality online and offline resources and teaching videos, and that is linked to our school’s curriculum expectations;
  • give access to high quality remote education resources;
  • select the online tools that will be consistently used across the school in order to allow interaction, assessment and feedback, and make sure staff are trained in their use;
  • provide printed resources, such as textbooks and workbooks, for pupils who do not have suitable online access;
  • recognise that younger pupils and some pupils with SEND may not be able to access remote education without adult support, and so we will work with families to deliver our broad and ambitious curriculum.

Our remote learning plan explains how we will continue to teach our pupils and support their learning and progress whatever happens. It sets out the provision we will make for those learning at home as a result of the pandemic. However, our remote learning plan is not intended to provide an alternative to school attendance. We have a separate policy and procedure for pupils who cannot attend school for other long-term medical reasons.