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.

@CovoidOfAllHumanity that is very similar to one of our safeguarding issues we had today!

@MissClarke86
I appreciate this doesn’t suit you, but it does have to suit the best interests of the school -

And there we have it.

I'd be frustrated in your position. It's easy to list all the ways that live lessons can go wrong or be abused, but what about the benefit for the 95% of the time they don't?

Both my sons have a full timetable of live lessons over Teams, they're required (unless there's a good reason they can't) to have their cameras on, as does the teacher. Sometimes they go into break out groups or do some independent work before coming back together as a class. It's about as near normal school lessons as they can get. They all understand the rules of live lessons and the consequences if they don't comply with them.

I appreciate that not everyone has access to their own device but, equally, it's not really fair where there's such a disparity in provision either. And no, I'm not teacher bashing, our teachers are working incredibly hard to deliver remote schooling.

I assume the OP thinks that her child may wander off from a recorded lesson but if her teacher was in charge she can delegate that responsibility to them.

It's going to happen isn't it?
And schools have really got no control. They can remind parents and pupils of the rules but ultimately they can't ban this poor kid for his mum's poor behaviour.

I'm fairly sure they'll have been offered a vulnerable child place but no-one can force them to take it.

@GintyMcGinty

Ours neither. I

n Scotland there's no requirement for live or recorded teaching at all.

We just get worksheets emailed.

It's shit v

Weren’t you the one who was complaining about just getting worksheets when Scottish schools were on an extended holiday and remote learning hadn’t even started yet. And full online learning not expected until the 18th Jan? So your school is doing extra for you and you are still complaining?

My live lessons are cameras off, kids on mute to avoid that sort of thing. Letting others into your house even virtually is quite an ask for some kids.

I’ll happily swap you for our overzealous school

@noblegiraffe we are microphones off unless they are answering a question/reading out work! It’s controlled by the teacher but I think the incident this afternoon caused them to become flustered.

[quote GuyFawkesDay]@Fembot123

Nah, thanks. I'm pulling 14hr days trying to educate people's children and am so sick of the constant bile and criticism from people who seem to think they know better.[/quote]
Do yourself a favour and don’t read it? I mean it in the nicest possible way. I’m support staff at a senior school and have 2 senior schoolers and teachers are doing a grand job.

No live lessons here either but it suits me fine. DD is only 6 and learns better with in person teaching which is easy enough at her age. We use a lot of websites Mathletics, Lexiacore5, Educationcity etc. Majority of work is given on Seesaw plus we have a paper work pack from school to work through as well. We just get a list of things on Monday to do during the week and we keep in touch with the teacher using Class Dojo.

Online teaching is overrated. It often consists of a zoom call where the conversation goes like this

I haven’t got that
I can’t find that
I don’t know what to do
...........for the entire lesson and nothing is achieved
And so on. My kids hate it. Would be far, far better off with tasks to do by themselves/instructional videos.

our school isn't doing live lessons but lots of pre-recorded guidance. about 3 hours of varied work a day as per ofsted guidance. 1000% better than in lockdown 1, where i was groping like a blind person for random whiterose and bbc bitesize with no fecking idea what i was doing. This time teachers have been communicative and helpful, I take time to thank them every day. I think op's point about her dc being year 6 is key. have you checked the guidance op?

@GreekOddess

Do upper primary aged children really need so much parental involvement? We have a year 6 child, apart from helping him getting logged in on the first day he is self sufficient.

I understand that younger children will need more parental input but I do wonder if some parents are making a meal of this.

I wish! DS is 10 and due to his SN needs constant supervision. He’s fine at school and doesn’t need 1 to 1 help, but finds the current situation so distressing that he wouldn’t get anything done if I wasn’t sitting with him. He can’t cope with live lessons either. Fortunately 8yo DD is slightly more independent but still needs help with the tech.

So more live lessons would suit her, but not DS. Even our family is impossible to please! I really, really feel for teachers.

@ChloeDecker Weren’t you the one who was complaining about just getting worksheets when Scottish schools were on an extended holiday and remote learning hadn’t even started yet. And full online learning not expected until the 18th Jan? So your school is doing extra for you and you are still complaining?

Hello. what are you talking about?

Neither of my children's schools (primary or secondary) have any plans for live or recorded teaching now or in the 18th or at all.

School started today where I am. They are doing anything extra for us.

It's very widespread in Scotland with a complete postcode lottery.

Our school started live lessons today - structure from 9-10:30 and 11- 12:15
I actually achieved to work - school work actually happened without drama. Even willing to do the afternoon piece of work which was worksheets! It made such a difference focus and engagement.
Every child is different & different sets up may not work but for us this was a complete improvement! I’m very grateful that the teachers happy to do live lessons.

re-reading op's original post it seems as if her school isn't following a particular curriculum, isn't doing pre recorded messages, isn't communicating, isn't providing feedback. agree live lessons aren't always the gold standard they're made out to be but op's school seems to be out if kilter with the standard provided by many other mn dcs schools

So much of this is parents worrying unnecessarily that ‘other people’s children’ are getting a better deal and getting ahead of their own kids.

Stop! There’s a million ways that children learn.

Live lessons were done by private schools to justify the fees and then they became the ‘gold standard’ with no evidence to support it being the best ways kids learn.

@zoemum2006 yes but look at what op's school is actually (not) providing. I've been there, it feels horrible.

This thread has reminded me to send thank you emails to both of my DC’s schools

yes totally! we need to be so so grateful when they reach out and engage and have obviously moved heaven and earth to help our kids @fembot123. I feel so lucky compared to last time.

Each child will have a 25 minute live lesson in a group of 10, once a week. Plus the usual Oak Academy and White Rose Maths stuff with a bit of English, Science and Geography thrown in. Some of my friends are saying this isn't anywhere near enough but the school put on their website today that they have loads of parents contact them to say it is way too much. They really can't please everyone

Y4 son has full timetable of live lessons and it is making us wfh soooo much easier as he manages himself with little help from us and the quality of teaching is better than us doing it which mostly involved lots of crying and stress. He does what he is told all the kids according to class what’s app tell parents off for getting on camera parents and kids only off mute and speak when asked. All backgrounds blurred or teams white. Audit was done for devices in September and school sorted a number for kids with nothing or parents were directed to ask to borrow when lockdown hit.
Son seems engaged a bit of misbehaving in chat but that has been dealt with.

Hello. smile what are you talking about?

Neither of my children's schools (primary or secondary) have any plans for live or recorded teaching now or in the 18th or at all.

School started today where I am. They are doing anything extra for us.

It's very widespread in Scotland with a complete postcode lottery.

Your school started today yet you have been complaining about only getting worksheets and PowerPoints before today, on lots of these types of threads. Your schools have been doing extra before they were required to.

Technically it’s only been a day with full remote not expected until the 18th.

It’s not reasonable to compare that with the guidance that has been set in England since last week.

I'm not bashing but genuinely interested.
The school are doing the same work with those in school as those at home. The provision can't be different or it isn't fair.
Why then can't teachers teach online and the key worker class at the same time.
I have a year 5 and year 3 child.
They are being taught live with teacher in class and online at the same time.
Say if it's maths the teacher is explaining to those in school and has the children at home on a laptop logged onto google classroom.
The children all do the work and while going through the answers the teacher asks those in school and those online.
Children unmute, answer and mute! They can put their hand ups if they have a question.
Lessons, any handouts and timetable is uploaded to google classroom night before or first thing.
I can set them going in the morning and off they go. I'm working from home and this requires minimum intervention.
100% better than last lockdown.