West Hatch Remote Education Provision

Learning From Home – Quick Guide (scroll further for more detailed explanation):

1. Follow your school timetable
2. All lessons for all year groups will be Live in Microsoft Teams unless told otherwise
3. You will receive a daily email letting you know if any teachers are not able to teach live lessons
4. Materials for each lesson are uploaded onto Microsoft Teams
5. If you have issues with Microsoft Teams please contact itsupport@westhatch.net and they will be able to help you.
6. Each lesson can be joined in Microsoft Teams at the timetabled lesson time by following the instructions below:

Each student will need to look at their class codes – underlined.  Example below

 

Then you need to click the Team with the same class code as the current lesson on your timetable.

When you click on the Team you should see the ‘Join’ in the chat-log area.  Click on this to join the lesson.

 

 

Learning From Home - The more Detailed Version:

Our ambition is to provide a remote offer that closely resembles normal in-class lessons as well as provide wider enrichment and wellbeing activities.  We offer the following remote curriculum offer as a minimum:

• Our remote learning curriculum matches, as much as is possible, our normal curriculum. We offer a minimum of 5 hours per day, as per student’s normal timetable, and will include directed activities such as enrichment, physical activity and independent learning.
• All students follow their normal school timetable
  • • Microsoft Teams is used to deliver all of our remote learning. 
    • Students and teachers have been trained in the use of Microsoft Teams throughout the Christmas Term.
• Curriculum content will be accessible to students including those with SEND. Lessons are differentiated live and they are available as recordings via Microsoft Teams. The provision noted on Section F of any EHCP is delivered as much and as effectively as possible via virtual means. If students with SEND have any issues accessing lesson content, or if you have concerns about the provision being provided, please contact Mr Howell via the school website and/or we can make arrangements for your son/daughter to be supported at school if deemed appropriate.
• Our aim is that all lessons will have a live element to them, delivered at the timetabled lesson time.  Students should follow the Guidance we have provided to ensure they are safe during Live lessons.
• Students can expect feedback from teachers at regular points; this may be verbal, written via comments, or as part of whole class feedback.
• There will be frequent directed activities around physical activity, enrichment and mental wellbeing as part of the curriculum offer.
• There will be short, frequent assessments to enable students to show their understanding of what has been taught, and to inform teachers’ next steps in their planning. 
• Student’s attendance is recorded by teachers at every lesson. Absences will be followed up using the normal procedures in place.
• If students are unable to access remote learning due to technical difficulties they will need to contact the school via phone, or email itsupport@westhatch.net
• If students are unable to access remote learning due to a lack of equipment they should contact their head of year:
• If a student refuses to engage in any remote learning we reserve the right to direct them to attend in school face to face provision. 
• If a student is being disruptive, not following the rules of a live lesson and impacting the learning of others, we reserve the right to remove them from their lessons. 
• Students must only join a Meet through the link in their own TEAMs account. Students should:
  • Dress appropriately
  • Use a quiet space where possible but in a shared space if possible
  • Only you should be seen on the screen, avoid family members being seen online
  • Use a plain background where possible
  • Follow School rules for behaviour
• This meets the expectations set out in the DfE guidance ‘Remote Education Provision’:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19

 

In addition:

• If parents/carers have questions during online lessons, these must wait and email your teacher. 
• If you don't feel comfortable joining with video, you can join with just audio.   
• Start with your sound and camera off. Only put these on if requested by your teacher
• If you have a question put this in the chat for your teacher to respond
• Make sure you are dressed appropriately as you may be asked to put your camera on at times (this is an important safeguarding feature to ensure students are who they say they are)
• Follow the expectations for behaviour as you would if you were in school

Where a teacher is unavailable for live lessons due to staff absence, work will be set and teachers will be contactable via email for support. PE lessons will not be delivering live lessons, but students will have directed physical activities to complete.

If you or your child have any questions, please contact the school. Any technical questions should be emailed to itsupport@westhatch.net.  All other questions can be emailed to admin@westhatch.net – please include the name of the teacher you want the email to be sent to.

The West Hatch safeguarding policy can be found here:        https://www.westhatch.net/page/?title=Safeguarding&pid=102

Learning platforms

All students have an Office 365 account administered by the school. This account gives students access to the following suite of online applications:

The applications above, in addition to other programmes that staff may use from time to time e.g. MyMaths, Pixl etc., can be accessed using your assigned school login for each programme.  

Work set remotely will be set through Teams and students will upload completed assignments and receive feedback from teachers using this application. As appropriate, other Microsoft applications will be used in conjunction with Teams when setting work.

Access to technology

In order for remote learning to be delivered successfully, students must have access to an appropriate device to access the Office 365 Suite and in particular Teams. Where possible, and supported by the DfE Laptop Scheme for Schools, if the student does not have access to the necessary technology the school will do all it can to support the student.

Providing pastoral care remotely

Pastoral leaders including our Student Support Team will track student welfare and engagement and keep channels of communication open, with all parties including parents/carers and other support services as required. On occasions, a member of the pastoral team may hold one-to-one sessions via Teams with student video feed switched on, in order to provide the best level of care and support. The parents/carers would be informed of such meetings.

Communication

We will endeavour to maintain good communication with all parents / carers / students and staff.  EdulinkOne is used as our primary method of communication as it provides push notifications to all mobile devices. In the event of a partial or full lockdown students will access their work through Teams. Teachers and students may also use the ‘chat’ feature in Microsoft Teams to communicate, regarding assignments and work. Students will receive timely feedback in line with the school’s marking policy through Teams.

The Curriculum Continuity / Blended Learning Offer

A blended learning approach enables us to maintain our outstanding curriculum and give support to students in developing deeper understanding and maintain good progress when we are not in a full lockdown. Staff are using MS Teams to store their lesson materials and plans as a matter of course so that in the case of a partial or full local lockdown students can continue their learning at home.

If an individual or small group of students has to self-isolate students will access support material through Teams and other online applications as directed by their class teacher. This work will be aligned as closely as possible with in-school provision, thus enabling them to keep up to date with the current topics being taught in school until a time when they return, and can receive further assistance with developing skills and understanding.

If a class / year group bubble has to self-isolate staff will hold lessons at their regular time using the MS Teams platform. These lessons will include live and pre-recorded lessons, virtual white boards, screen casts and materials linked to OneDrive and other applications. The work set will be in-line with the level of curriculum challenge in school but will take account of the age of the student and their ability to work with independence. Time to login, find material, read and decipher material, in addition to completing the task will be built into each session.  Staff will only be available to chat to students in Teams during their timetabled lesson to allow them to continue their teaching role in school. Staff will encourage students to find time to exercise and relax to maintain a positive mind-set and good health.

Staff will keep a register of students’ participation and attendance in each lesson, and inform their line manager if they have any concerns. Working closely together the teacher, line manager and pastoral lead will decide the next action to ensure that a student is looked after and supported in their learning. Parents/carers will be informed as required.

If the school closes teachers and students will all revert to using MS Teams following the approach already detailed above.

If we are required to provide support for Key Worker and Vulnerable Children, they will follow the same learning plan as their peers studying at home. They will work, socially distanced, in computer suites to allow them access to the work and lessons using the MS Office 365 Suite. They will be encouraged to bring their own headphones to allow them to take part in online lessons without disturbing others in the room. At least one member of SLT and/or a member of the pastoral team on a rotation basis will always be present to oversee the provision and provide support as required.

Form Tutors will keep in touch with their groups through Teams and the more vulnerable students from this group will have a mentor who maintains regular contact with them, depending on need.

Advice to parents / carers and students

We ask parents and carers to support us by:

1. Reviewing the features of MS Office 365 and particularly MS Teams
2. Ensuring they have the EdulinkOne App installed on their mobile device; thus keeping lines of communication open between school and home
3. Encouraging their child to keep to the school routines and create breaks for exercise, play and relaxation
4. Reminding their child to wear appropriate dress and choose appropriate backgrounds if they have an online meeting / lesson with a member of staff or external provider
5. Check cameras and microphones are working
6. Ensuring their child has the necessary equipment and materials nearby
7. Keeping laptops and tablets plugged into mains power
8. Encouraging their child to close other browser tabs, in particular social media and chat facilities
9. Reminding their child to respect the platform and refrain from inappropriate messages or disruptions to a lesson (the School’s Behaviour for Learning Policy will be applied and appropriate actions taken in the event of such behaviour)

If a parent or carer is concerned about any remote provision they should contact the school immediately.

For students:

1. You are to communicate through your West Hatch account only. The use of any other account or e-mail address is expressly prohibited
2. Do not engage in communications with any account other than your West Hatch account and report any such activity to your teacher or Head of House
3. You must always be polite and respectful to your teachers and fellow students
4. You are not to film (by any means) or forward any content within a Teams group – such as worksheets, exam papers, answers, solutions, videos, notes or links – to anyone else without the permission of the creator of that content
5. You understand that all your online activity is monitored. This includes anything on e-mail and Teams, and whether you are checking in regularly for assigned work