To think school should offer more?

[supermanisdead]

My DD is yr8 at a large comp. she is set roughly 2-3 hours of work a day online which she does.

For the first 5 weeks there was zero feedback given until I messaged the head who said they were implementing it that day. Since then feedback has been very sporadic.

There have been no Zoom or google classroom lessons. I'm concerned about the lack of face to face teaching and formative feedback. She's had one phone call from her tutor.

I'm interested to know what other schools are providing to see if it's comparable.

A bit of background - I'm an FE lecturer and have to call my learners once a week and provide Almost all lessons in a Zoom format. I can't understand why secondary schools aren't offering the same?!

I think all schools and institutions are working completely differently depending on their resources.
DS is in yr2 and work is set online, no one is checking if it has been done. It is completley up to us. I work in FE and all work is available on the platform we use and I am constantly emailing the students, marking their work and giving feedback. No zoom or google classrooms though.

Schools shouldn't have to offer zoom/online live lessons- there's a lot of safe guarding issues - as well as many families don't have access to computers / internet etc..
I think 3 hours a day of work is plenty - that is what my son gets - any extra you want your child can do can be an extension on those lessons if needed (extra research, more writing etc...)
Feedback maybe a bit more random - that may be because staff are still going into school looking after vulnerable and keyworker children - and with the priority on years 10 and 12 coming up they may be doing more with them.
It's ok people saying teachers should be doing more - ahh aren't they doing that etc.. but they probably want to do more but can't! FE is different to secondary .

These threads are constant now

They really are constant :(

My son’s school are working in a similar way to yours, OP. When lockdown was announced, they sent a questionnaire to families and they decided they couldn’t offer video lessons as it would disadvantage the not insignificant number who would not be able to access them. The school are trying to be fair to everyone, and there would be a sizeable number who could not access the learning if it was delivered in this way.

My Y10 is in private school that teaches from nursery to sixth form. All secondary kids have a full day online classrooms and clubs afterwards. (I can't speak for junior school but imagine the older ones are too). But it's private and I know some state schools here are not doing that much.

They’re constant because the novelty has worn off and parents are desperate.

just well maybe the parents could show a little initiative and attempt to home educate their child instead of spending hours on MN bashing teachers.

Yes. My children all have a full timetable with many live lessons, but also some pre recorded lessons.

I am confident and happy they are safeguarded, secure and getting a good education.

One of the biggest implications of this widening gulf between what state schools are generally offering (and what unions want their teachers to do) and what independent schools/FE colleges like yours are offering. My eldest child in particular hasn't missed a beat. She's completely on track, on target for university applications, preparing heavily for pre Uni exams in the summer/autumn - whenever they can take place - and if anything has jumped ahead academically during this time at home.

This has just widened the gap.

How much money are we betting that the OP never posts on this thread again?

With the wealth of free resources out there, I can't understand why parents don't just supplement the curriculum themselves if they feel there's not enough.

It’s all well and good suggesting zoom lessons etc. But how do you propose everyone access this? As an example, I have 4 children, 1 laptop and 1 iPad 2 which won’t run many of their teaching apps/websites.

School won’t have enough to loan everyone one.

I’m happy with what and how Our schools are working on the whole.
🌻

Ds has been working on teams for each lesson which has helped, however the laptop charger broke so had to have paper work sent we had to wait and I had to use google for work for each lesson..I since ordered a new charger. Teaches are trying their best, we got to work with them than against them, they are still planning lessons, still got keyworker school in school and delivering paper work for those who dont have access to computers or tablets.

I agree 100%. It's incredibly frustrating that schools can't get their act together and provide online lessons. There really is no good reason not to do it.

It does seem to vary hugely. We’re primary and get links to some twinkle worksheets and to the BBC phonics stuff. So our school, which I love and are brilliant under normal circumstances, aren’t doing anything at all really for home learning. It doesn’t really matter to me as I know DS (reception) has all the time in the world to catch up but if this is going to be for another few months I’d like to see something. A bit of feedback on work maybe or they could send out reading books.

I assume I’ll now get shouted at for teacher bashing.

There are SO many good reasons not to provide live online lessons.

They’ve been noted on MN hundreds of times.

Or, you know, you could think what they are for yourselves.

You don't understand the difference between using zoom with adult learners and using zoom with a a gaggle of 11-18 year olds?

@user8558 errrrrm because many parents are working. You know the thing they used to be able to do to afford to buy food and heat and a roof? Now of course they’re supposed to work and do a full time teaching job alongside.

@SachaStark

Why would I never post again?

@SpoonyFace

I work with 16/17 year olds. FE is mainly 16-18. So I do think I have an understanding.

@supermanisdead, because that’s been the pattern over the last 12 hours. OP posts an inflammatory OP about teachers, then fucks off.

@SachaStark

This isn't inflammatory about teachers. It's about the schools offer during the lockdown.

I don't understand why they can't offer even one or two zoom
Lessons a week. I understand that some will be disadvantaged by this but there is disadvantage everywhere in the schooling system. Why should everyone miss out?

ODFOD

Well done OP you’ve made the decision for me - I’m leaving Mumsnet having been here since the fatball days. I’m working my bloody arse off while looking after 2 young children, but I just can’t take anymore of the teacher bashing. Every other thread is teacher bashing now and the admins are doing nothing to stop it. It’s impacting on my mental health now. So bye

You literally end your OP with, “why secondary schools aren’t offering the same?”

That’s fucking inflammatory, and a sweeping generalisation.

AND it’s been answered on MN hundreds of times since lockdown. AND if you’re actually an educator, and attend annual safeguarding training, you’d bloody well know why many schools cannot offer live online lessons.