My child’s primary school is not doing any online teaching

[Yandle]

My dd is in year 6. There are no online lessons with her teachers. We are sent links to the Oak National Academy website with tasks put on a very old fashioned database called “purple mash”.
After all my friends who have children at other local schools in my area, told me about their children having online lessons daily, I contacted the head at my dd’s school and asked if they would be doing online teaching.
The answer was a firm no.
The reason given was that the school has a large number of children who do not speak English as a first language.
I don’t think this is an acceptable excuse and I feel very annoyed that the school is using this as a reason. Surely the school should be doing MORE for these children?
My dd has been watching the videos & doing the very small amount of work set but I feel she is missing out (along with her peers) when my friends children are having live interactive teaching on Microsoft teams.
Is there anything I can do? I know I can’t make them teach online lessons but I can’t help thinking that other schools in my area who also have pupils who do not have English as a first language, manage to teach online. They obviously care more about their pupils.

Our school isn’t either. State primary in SW london

Ours isn't either. The reason they've given is safeguarding. Other schools seem to be managing though so I'm not sure I buy that!

Omg. Words absolutely fail me.

Dd also year 6 isn’t having any online teaching either. It’s pretty much as you describe. Videos and worksheets and a bit of topic work. She’s finished by 10am.

It doesn’t make sense as a ‘school day’. I just hope they cancel the sats because there’s no way she’ll manage on these teaching methods.

There are plenty of other primaries which aren’t.

Ours isn’t doing any live lessons because the logistics would make it impossible for too many families. Instead they are recording videos of the teacher input and setting work which we send in and they give feedback.

They also do teams for individual pupils as needed and to help provide what is in ehcp and ieps

Shocking. We had this last school year when dd2 was in year 6. Thank god she’s at secondary now and being properly taught.

@H1978 KS2 Sats were cancelled last week.

@H1978

Dd also year 6 isn’t having any online teaching either. It’s pretty much as you describe. Videos and worksheets and a bit of topic work. She’s finished by 10am.

It doesn’t make sense as a ‘school day’. I just hope they cancel the sats because there’s no way she’ll manage on these teaching methods.

SATS have already been cancelled.

There is no obligation anywhere to provide live teaching. The expectation is video recorded lessons for explanations etc, which may be teachers or links elsewhere e.g Oak.

I appreciate this doesn’t suit you, but it does have to suit the best interests of the school - if they deliver live lessons during the day, something else has to give which might mean EAL children have zero provision or key worker children aren’t taught. There has to be a balance. Oak academy is good, as is white rose for maths which a lot of schools use.

Shocked at some of these schools. Scotland state primary here. Every class, including the p1s are getting at least 2 one hour live lessons a day.

None here. Just a maths worksheet a day (if I can count 15 questions that) that parents have to mark. English comprehension worksheet daily plus writing a story and a topic PowerPoint. Have raised the lack of any contact, or live interaction with the head.

Also of many parents work shifts etc, live lessons at set times may only work for a very small percentage of parents. Say 5 parents logon, how do you then suggest the teacher teaches the remaining 25? Would you like them to be awake 24 hours a day catering for all groups with their individual preferences?

The teacher bashing needs to stop. Everyone is trying their damn best.

Ours is, 3x per day. State primary in SW London

Been impressed so far -
Weekly pdf with all the learning listed out by topic by day, links to supporting materials etc so the online learning can be optional if it doesn’t work for you

Ours aren’t either. We get a document with links to follow to BBC bitesize etc. Our school says that on their survey of parents they were surprised how few children had devices to access live lessons, so this is how they will best serve the kids. I’m happy to accept their greater knowledge of the school community & actually am content with what we have - which works out at about 1hr a day for my Y4, and less for my Reception child. Gives us time for dog walking, my work, playing around...

None here. White rose maths. Oak academy links and worksheets. No feedback

Has it not occurred to you who might be looking after all the key worker and vulnerable children who are still in school from 9 - 3.30?

Neither is ours. Even one live lesson a day would help out for parents trying to WFH. I guess school has their own reasons for doing it the way they are. :(

Given the number of people complaining on here about online teaching, it feels a bit like schools are damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

Our school isn't. Too many families with shared devices. It makes sense when you look at the bigger picture. They get three 'lessons' each day from Oak, White Rose etc, plus some the teachers put together. Also some YouTube links. Then there's the various websites for reading, spelling and times tables. Two videos from their teachers each day.
Some days it takes us all day, others we are done by lunch. On top of that, it appears every teacher has a 'bubble' in school, as well as being on the messenger service 8.30-4.30.

I'm not saying it's perfect, but the situation isn't perfect. (And our internet only supports one 'live stream' at once most of the time. At least if the prerecorded freezes, I can give them another task for a bit. Or one can wait while I help the other.

@MsTSwift

Shocking. We had this last school year when dd2 was in year 6. Thank god she’s at secondary now and being properly taught.

Yes, because us primary school teachers don't actually teach at all - were only good for babysitting. You clearly know bugger all about primary schools. Was your child not able to read and write when she left last year?

Ours isn't doing any specific live teaching, but has zoom calls several times a week spaced across different times of the day to try and suit working parents who are keeping their children at home.
This time round, they are using a website where work is submitted and they can get feedback and ask questions on the website which are answered by the teacher. Means the teachers can keep an eye on who is doing work and who is not and contact those who they haven't seen on zoom at least once a week by telephone.

I honestly prefer that - the stress of trying to get on several live lessons a day while parents are working is too much.

We don't have anything either. Used Purple Mash in March lockdown and really didn't enjoy it. We're using Seesaw this time but not live lessons.

Have a look at BBC bitesize, they will have extra things your DD can learn from.

@tinierclanger

Neither is ours. Even one live lesson a day would help out for parents trying to WFH. I guess school has their own reasons for doing it the way they are. :(

In my school we looked at families and which year groups clashed with siblings in other year groups. In order to ensure each class had an hours live lesson would have meant that some teachers would be teaching at 5 o’clock at night! We have 2 Teams meetings each day per class for catch ups. Everything else is online so children can access it at their convenience. This suits WFH parents much better.

@Iliketeaagain

Ours isn't doing any specific live teaching, but has zoom calls several times a week spaced across different times of the day to try and suit working parents who are keeping their children at home. This time round, they are using a website where work is submitted and they can get feedback and ask questions on the website which are answered by the teacher. Means the teachers can keep an eye on who is doing work and who is not and contact those who they haven't seen on zoom at least once a week by telephone.

I honestly prefer that - the stress of trying to get on several live lessons a day while parents are working is too much.

Same as my school.