Remote Learning

Remote Learning Information

The Department for Education sets out expectations for Remote education; they are detailed here.  

On Tuesday 5th January, our Principal sent out a letter to all parents via Arbor regarding the 3rd national lockdown and the measures that would be in place at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School from Wednesday 6th January.

This information is intended to provide clarity and transparency to pupils and parents or carers about what to expect from remote education if 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.

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?

Where children are sent home from school, KS2 pupils will be expected to complete work on Times Table Rock Stars along with work from CGP workbooks to allow staff to prepare for a longer period of remote teaching. The children will be invited to attend a virtual meeting on Teams with the class teacher, who will ensure that all the children are ok. The teacher will ensure that all the children are clear of the expectations for remote learning. 

Where children are sent home from school, KS1 pupils will be able to access their Seesaw account and they will be able to begin to complete their home learning. Teachers may also send workbooks (CGP) home to support with remote learning. 

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?

  • In KS2 we teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate. The children have access to TEAMs and three live lessons will be taught everyday (English, Maths plus one other). However, some adaptations maybe required in some subjects. For example, in PE children may be asked to go outside and run laps of their garden or follow an exercise video. In addition, Times Table Rock Stars will be available to all KS2 children.
  • In Year 1 and Reception, the children do not have access to live lessons but videos, where appropriate will be available to support learning. Every morning, the teacher will set an English activity, a maths activity and an activity for one other subject e.g., RE, science, Theme or PE. A Phonics video and activity will be included for the children.
  • All children are expected to complete the learning set each day and submit their work. Staff will mark and comment where necessary, so the children know how they are getting on.

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

KS2 children and Year 2 children will be using TEAMs; a platform they have been using since

September for homework. They also have passwords for other platforms such as Times Table Rock Stars. Any issues with logging in please contact: admin.sp@romeromac.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible or call us on 02476612671.

Year 1 children will be using Seesaw; a platform they have used for homework. Any issues with logging in please contact: admin.sp@romeromac.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible or call us on 02476612671.

Reception children will be using Tapestry. Any issues with logging in please contact:

admin.sp@romeromac.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible or call us on 02476612671.

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:

In some circumstances we may be able to offer devices to support working remotely and accessing online content; provide additional data cards for children working on mobile devices or provide paper copies. We want to support you in the best way that we can, so if you are experiencing any difficulties please contact us on: admin.sp@romeromac.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible or call us on 02476612671.

How will my child be taught remotely?

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

Children in year 2 to year 6 will work from TEAMs and for children in Year 1 will work from Seesaw with Reception using Tapestry. 

Children in KS2 are expected to be ready to learn from 9am. Where there are siblings sharing a device, lessons will be recorded so children can access at a later point within the day. Children will have access to 3 live lessons each day. Children are expected to take breaks like they would if they were in school. Children will be able to ask questions via the chat or hand up option. 

Work for children in KS1 / Reception will be set at the start of the day. The expectation is that it is completed by the end of the day (3.30). Staff will monitor the work submitted. 

Lessons might also use other online platforms such as; Times Table Rock Stars (KS2), White Rose Hub or The National Oak Academy. 

If children do not engage with remote learning, we will call home.

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?

Children are expected to undertake 4 hours of work each day (KS2) and 3 hours of work each day (KS1) and less for children in Reception. All work should be submitted on time.  

KS2 lessons will be live and these will take place during the day when those lessons would usually take place (9am, 11am and 1pm). Lessons are recorded to support families sharing a device.  

We appreciate that due to other commitments such as work or a lack of technology in the home, parents may not always be on hand to support their children or have the technological means to support online learning at all times. If you are experiencing difficulties, please contact the school.

Behaviour and Expectations on TEAMs

  • Just like in school, we expect any comments made by the children to be respectful. If concerns are raised by the content of your child’s comments, the teacher will contact you.
  • Children are encouraged to use the chat for work and not for general conversations. When a chat becomes overloaded with general conversation, it makes it increasingly difficult to support children who have asked a work-related question. 
  • We ask for the children to only sign in during school time and complete the work set. Staff will only respond during school hours.

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

Children’s engagement will be monitored by teachers and support staff and parents will be contacted if we have concerns. 

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 and support staff will monitor chat and give verbal feedback (KS2).
  • Work set and submitted will be checked and / or marked (including highlighting). 

If staff have any concerns, they will contact you directly.

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.

Our staff know your children really well and will set appropriate work.

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. Work will be set either on TEAMs or Seesaw. 

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

In KS2 and Year 2, children will be able to sign into live lessons and submit work via TEAMs.

In Year 1 / Reception children will complete tasks set on Seesaw.