Our Remote Learning Offer

Laycock Primary Remote education provision: information for parents

This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education where national or local restrictions require entire cohorts (or bubbles) to remain at home.

For details of what to expect where individual pupils are self-isolating, please see the final section of this page.

Remote Education Provision

The remote curriculum: what is taught to pupils at home

A pupil’s first day or two of being educated remotely might look different from our standard approach, while we take all necessary actions to prepare for a longer period of remote teaching.

What should my child expect from immediate remote education in the first day or two of pupils being sent home?

If a child/ bubble gets sent home unexpectedly:

  • The adults at home will be informed via text/ call/ Dojo
  • The child will be sent home with a work book (printed or bought)
  • Any resources the child needs, the teacher will support the child in collecting (pencils, rulers, etc.)
  • The class teacher will upload online work within two days for the duration of isolation via Class Dojo
  • For any children without internet access, they will be provided with a mailed printed pack of work, similar to the online work the rest of the class receive
  • For any children without a laptop, they may be provided with a laptop to use at home. The adult will need to sign an agreement to use this on loan.
  • If the whole bubble closes, teachers will resume online meetings, support between 9am-3pm and regular contact.
  • Our website is full of resources for every subject for extra work/ challenges.
  • Children also have access to our online learning platforms: Oxford Reading Buddies, Mathletics, Timetable Rockstars, Charanga.

If a child/ bubble gets sent home with notice:

  • The children will get told in school and the teacher will explain the temporary situation
  • The class teacher will upload online work within two days for the duration of isolation via Class Dojo
  • For any children without internet access, they will be provided with a mailed printed pack of work, similar to the online work the rest of the class receive
  • For any children without a laptop, they may be provided with a laptop to use at home. The adult will need to sign an agreement to use this on loan.
  • If the whole bubble closes, teachers will resume online meetings, support between 9am-3pm and regular contact.
  • Our website is full of resources for every subject for extra work/ challenges.
  • Children also have access to our online learning platforms: Oxford Reading Buddies, Mathletics, Timetable Rockstars, Charanga.

Following the first few days of remote education, will my child be taught broadly the same curriculum as they would if they were in school?

We teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate. However, we have needed to make some adaptations in some subjects. For example, moving Maths units due to lack of resources at home i.e. protractor, tracing paper, etc.

Please see our curriculum maps for expected learning each year.

Remote teaching and study time each day

How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day?

We expect that remote education (including remote teaching and independent work) will take pupils broadly the following number of hours each day:

Key Stage 1

30 minutes Phonics

30 minutes Reading

45 minutes English writing

45 minutes Maths

45 minutes Curriculum subject

+wellbeing activities

+brain breaks

+social activities (Q&A, games, etc.)

+daily whole school challenges

+ weekly circle time (online lesson)

Key Stage 2

1 hour Reading

1 hour Writing

1 hour Maths

45 minutes Curriculum subject

+wellbeing activities

+brain breaks

+daily whole school challenges

+ weekly circle time (online lesson)

Accessing remote education

How will my child access any online remote education you are providing?

  • Class Dojo- all lessons posted on here
  • School website
  • Oxford Reading Buddies
  • Timetables Rockstars
  • Mathletics
  • Charanga
  • Purple Mash

If my child does not have digital or online access at home, how will you support them to access remote education?

We recognise that some pupils may not have suitable online access at home. We take the following approaches to support those pupils to access remote education:

Lending of laptops:

  • Laptops and wifi dongles are offered to children who need access to a computer and/or the internet
  • All communication for laptops will go through the office, if you need support please contact office@laycock.islington.sch.uk or call us.

Printed resources:

  • For pupils who request printed materials, these will be mailed to you within 5 working days, we ask that this work gets brought back in to school to be marked once isolation is over. Teachers will contact children not on line via the telephone to check in with the pupils and adults at home.

How will my child be taught remotely?

We use a combination of the following approaches to teach pupils remotely:

Some examples of remote teaching approaches:

  • Weekly interactive timetables uploaded with links to pre-recorded lessons, activities and marking/ answers.
  • live sessions once a week as ‘circle time’ –teacher will plan something fun to encourage communication and socialising between children within the same class/ year. Learning Mentors will support these sessions and provide games!
  • printed paper packs or textbooks produced by teachers (e.g. workbooks, worksheets) for children/ adults who request it
  • reading books are set on Oxford Reading Buddies
  • maths challenges set on TTRS and weekly champions are celebrated to encourage children’s presence online
  • daily ‘extras’ (free read Friday- e.g. teachers do a read aloud, Mathematics Mondays e.g. Maths challenge, Techy Tuesday e.g. Purple Mash activity, Well-being Wednesdays e.g. yoga/ dance/mindfulness etc.)
  • school website updated for home learning resources/ free events/ links supporting the teaching of specific subjects or areas- these can be used for extra work or challenge

Engagement and feedback

What are your expectations for my child’s engagement and the support that we as parents and carers should provide at home?

  • all children working online are expected to complete the work set
  • teachers complete an ‘engagement register every week. Any child who falls into the ‘red’ category (not enough work completed or submitted) the pastoral team/ SLT will ring to check in
  • website updated on supporting parents to timetable the day, brain breake, importance of movement etc.
  • expectations of parental support, for example, setting routines to support your child’s education
  • weekly parent workshops to support engagement e.g. sleep routines, timetabling, online support i.e. Class Dojo, SEN support, etc.

How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns?

  • all children working online are expected to complete the work set
  • teachers marked work throughout the day and dedicated 3.00-4.00pm veeyr day for personalised feedback
  • teachers complete an ‘engagement register every week. Any child who falls into the ‘red’ category (not enough work completed or submitted) the pastoral team/ SLT will ring to check in
  • all extra conversations/ phone calls/ Google Meets are put on our safeguarding platform, CPOMS, to alert SLT of follow up and concerns
  • engagement of home learning is part of the end of year report

How will you assess my child’s work and progress?

Feedback can take many forms and may not always mean extensive written comments for individual children. For example, whole-class feedback or quizzes marked automatically via digital platforms are also valid and effective methods, amongst many others. Our approach to feeding back on pupil work is as follows:

  • teachers will ‘approve’ work, comment and mark pupils’ work on Class Dojo
  • pupils will receive feedback on their work daily
  • often, teachers will contact children directly to support them
  • often pupils contact the teachers directly to ask for help
  • all teachers put ‘working hours; on the Class Dojo which meant they respond to all enquiries, from the pupil and/or the adult, from 9.00am – 3.00pm
  • marking will be uploaded for parents to engage with to support their child’s progress

Additional support for pupils with particular needs

How will you work with me to help my child who needs additional support from adults at home to access remote education?

We recognise that some pupils, for example some pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may not be able to access remote education without support from adults at home. We acknowledge the difficulties this may place on families, and we will work with parents and carers to support those pupils in the following ways:

  • Bespoke activities sent to children working at a different level to their year group
  • 1:1 online sessions for many children in ‘hub classes’
  • Weekly online workshops for parents, including supporting SEND pupils at home
  • All EHCP pupils invited in to school
  • Resources and extra support mailed home
  • Weekly check in phone calls from inclusion team and SENCo

Remote education for self-isolating pupils

Where individual pupils need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in school, how remote education is provided will likely differ from the approach for whole groups. This is due to the challenges of teaching pupils both at home and in school.

If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?

If a child/ bubble gets sent home unexpectedly:

  • The adults at home will be informed via text/ call/ Dojo
  • The child will be sent home with a work book (printed or bought)
  • Any resources the child needs, the teacher will support the child in collecting (pencils, rulers, etc.)
  • The class teacher will upload online work within two days for the duration of isolation via Class Dojo
  • All work will be ‘approved’ and commented on to support the learning from home
  • For any children without internet access, they will be provided with a mailed printed pack of work, similar to the online work the rest of the class receive
  • For any children without a laptop, they may be provided with a laptop to use at home. The adult will need to sign an agreement to use this on loan.
  • If the whole bubble closes, teachers will resume online meetings, support between 9am-3pm and regular contact.
  • Our website is full of resources for every subject for extra work/ challenges.
  • Children also have access to our online learning platforms: Oxford Reading Buddies, Mathletics, Timetable Rockstars, Charanga.
  • Phone calls home will be a priority for the class teacher.