AIBU to think there should be Robust Remote School Plans for September (is your school ready?)

[RobustRemoteSchool]

Namechanged for this post: – there has been a lot of discussion on MN and in the media about the plans for children getting back to school in September.

But not much discussion about what will happen when there are local lockdowns or cases in school or pupils self isolation.

The Department of Education’s guidance published on 2 July includes advice on this topic

Department of Education guidance – Section 5: Contingency planning for outbreaks
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Process in the event of local outbreaks

If a local area sees a spike in infection rates that is resulting in localised community spread, appropriate authorities will decide which measures to implement to help contain the spread. The Department for Education will be involved in decisions at a local and national level affecting a geographical area, and will support appropriate authorities and individual settings to follow the health advice. We will provide more information on this process in due course.

Contingency plans for outbreaks

For individuals or groups of self-isolating pupils, remote education plans should be in place. These should meet the same expectations as those for any pupils who cannot yet attend school at all due to coronavirus (COVID-19). See section on remote education support.
In the event of a local outbreak, the PHE health protection team or local authority may advise a school or number of schools to close temporarily to help control transmission. Schools will also need a contingency plan for this eventuality. This may involve a return to remaining open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers, and providing remote education for all other pupils.

Remote education support

Where a class, group or small number of pupils need to self-isolate, or there is a local lockdown requiring pupils to remain at home, we expect schools to have the capacity to offer immediate remote education. Schools are expected to consider how to continue to improve the quality of their existing offer and have a strong contingency plan in place for remote education provision by the end of September. This planning will be particularly important to support a scenario in which the logistical challenges of remote provision are greatest, for example where large numbers of pupils are required to remain at home.

In developing these contingency plans, we expect schools to:

• use a curriculum sequence that allows access to high-quality online and offline resources and teaching videos, and that is linked to the school’s curriculum expectations

• give access to high quality remote education resources

• select the online tools that will be consistently used across the school in order to allow interaction, assessment and feedback, and make sure staff are trained in their use

• provide printed resources, such as textbooks and workbooks, for pupils who do not have suitable online access

• recognise that younger pupils and some pupils with SEND may not be able to access remote education without adult support, and so schools should work with families to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum.

When teaching pupils remotely, we expect schools to:
• set assignments so that pupils have meaningful and ambitious work each day in a number of different subjects

• teach a planned and well-sequenced curriculum so that knowledge and skills are built incrementally, with a good level of clarity about what is intended to be taught and practised in each subject

• provide frequent, clear explanations of new content, delivered by a teacher in the school or through high quality curriculum resources and/or videos

• gauge how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum, using questions and other suitable tasks and set a clear expectation on how regularly teachers will check work

• enable teachers to adjust the pace or difficulty of what is being taught in response to questions or assessments, including, where necessary, revising material or simplifying explanations to ensure pupils’ understanding

• plan a programme that is of equivalent length to the core teaching pupils would receive in school, ideally including daily contact with teachers

We expect schools to consider these expectations in relation to the pupils’ age, stage of development and/or special educational needs, for example where this would place significant demands on parents’ help or support. We expect schools to avoid an over-reliance on long-term projects or internet research activities.

The government will also explore making a temporary continuity direction in the autumn term, to give additional clarity to schools, pupils and parents as to what remote education should be provided. DfE will engage with the sector before a final decision is made on this.

A range of resources to support schools in delivering remote education is available:

• curriculum maps for key subjects for year groups from Reception to year 9 will be published in July. They aim to provide support to schools in developing the ability to switch from classroom teaching to remote provision immediately in case of local lockdowns or self-isolation. A number of education resource providers intend to align their resources to these maps, to further support schools. These maps are designed as a support for schools and are entirely non-mandatory, for use at the discretion of the school.

• DfE has produced a quality assured list of remote education resources which are available to schools and parents for free over the summer term. Where pricing models have changed, schools may consider using some of their catch-up funding on remote resources in line with the access to technology section of the EEF’s COVID-19 support guide for schools

• from that start of the autumn term, Oak National Academy will make available video lessons covering the entire national curriculum, available to any school for free. These are being in developed in partnership with a wide group of teachers and school leaders to develop lessons in the popular topics. The resources will be as flexible as possible, allowing schools to reorder topics and lessons, to match their own plans and curriculum.

• Oak National Academy specialist content for pupils with SEND. This covers communication and language, numeracy, creative arts, independent living, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech and language therapy. Their provision for next academic year will include an expanded range of content for the specialist sector.

• government-funded access to one of two free-to-use digital education platforms: Google for Education or Microsoft Office 365 Education. Schools can apply through The Key for School Leaders. The Key also provides feature comparison and case studies on how schools are making the most of these platforms.

• a network of schools and colleges for help and support on effective use of tech for remote education that can be accessed through the EdTech Demonstrator Programme.

• laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers have been made available to local authorities and academy trusts to support vulnerable and disadvantaged children (specifically, care leavers, children and young people with a social worker, and disadvantaged year 10 pupils). Local authorities and academy trusts will continue to own and use these devices (including for catch up purposes) following pupils returning to school in the autumn term. They will be responsible for loaning them in the event that a school is required to close temporarily due to coronavirus (COVID-19). If required, the department will look to provide further device and connectivity support for disadvantaged pupils who would otherwise lack access during a school closure. These devices will be owned by the school.

• In addition to 4G routers provided to local authorities and academy trusts, the Department for Education is working in partnership with BT to offer free access to BT WiFi hotspots for disadvantaged pupils. We are also working with the major telecommunications companies to expand this offer and provide access to free additional data to families who rely on a mobile internet connection while the response to coronavirus (COVID-19) requires pupils to learn from home and access social care services online. More information on increasing internet access for vulnerable and disadvantaged children is available.

Further support is available from:
• The National Cyber Security Centre, on which video conference service is right for you and using video conferencing services securely
• annex C of the guidance on Safeguarding and remote education during coronavirus (COVID-19), as well as statutory guidance on online safety in Annex C of keeping children safe in education.

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Whilst some schools are already doing this – a lot are not. DS’s school (secondary) is not...

During lockdown contact from school has been 1 phone call after 10 weeks. After a few weeks some subjects provided pre-recorded voiceover powerpoints. Interaction and feedback has been minimal.

Some subjects have sporadically provided feedback on work submitted. Some subjects are not following the planned curriculum for the year.

There has been no tutor sessions, no assembly materials, no PHSE.

There have been no online lessons.

I am seriously worried about the next academic year – I don’t know why no one is focusing on or discussion plans for robust remote education provision to sit as a safety net behind the ‘back to school’ plans.

I’d like to get discussed on Twitter too @RobustRemoteSch

@RobustRemoteSchool before the pandemic I had an old notebook which has been fine for making resources. I've never had the need to narrate PowerPoints or have meetings on line or consider teaching over it. Plus there have been times when my internet has not been good enough for zoom.

There is an astonishing amount of high quality, free material online for both GCSE and A-level. Where one might need help is sorting through it, teaching it, assessing it etc. Which is I think what the govt are suggesting schools do, if you wade through the verbiage.

At the very least they could instruct HMRC to make teaching resources, laptops etc tax deductible for both teachers and parents for the next year.

I swapped schools at half term and had to buy a new laptop as they were unable to provide one. My boys rotate on the PC and my dd has her laptop to complete her lessons. My live lessons I have to do from the kitchen as there is no other space in my house. I am sorry you feel your school hasn't done well by your DC's, but why do you think you are entitled to know everything their teachers are doing? Do you feel the same about other public sector workers?

Why would you expect indication of what’s being planned for September by SLT or expect a mention of it in a newsletter. Schools don’t routinely tell parents what they are planning, or what they plan to plan a couple of months in advance, so why would you think they should start now?

It’s great that schools are going to be expected to deliver high quality remote learning across the board should the need occur, it has been awful to see the differences in provision across different schools. But what I’d love to see is something from the government reminding parents that they too have a responsibility for their child’s education, especially in primary where children will need at least some support from adults at home. Schools could provide the moon on a stick for children learning at home, but it will be pointless for a significant proportion of children who won’t get the encouragement they need at home. What’s going to be done for those children?

@RobustRemoteSchool
good schools currently delivering effective home learning won’t need to use Oak Academy- but many are providing no video teaching (pre recorded let alone live).

I'm not suggesting schools do. Many schools have been providing better provision for their pupils than Oak Academy can, including my own.

However, I was saying that the guidance is pushing schools towards it in what it is expecting. It's to the point where I can see schools having to justify not using it. It'll be the same as it was with the National Literacy/Numeracy strategies from years ago: you don't have to use it but, when questioned, you better have a bloody reason to be doing something else.

@VashtaNerada
There was no tendering. It was something created by a group of teachers first and then funded by the Government once it had already been set up.

I am sure schools are discussing it. Now they know its an expectation. It does seem like the government is basically saying follow oak academy planning this year so its easy to plug gaps.
I dont think they have properly addressed students access to technology at all.

I would think there's very few parents who aren't interested at all in their children's education. A much more realistic issue is that parents simply can't teach and work (even if they are any good at teaching and their DC can learn from them - my 7 year old won't let us teach her anything and we've had to tag team sitting with her with getting our jobs done - and we've been very lucky that we've only got the one DC and that it's a quiet time of year for DH). No-one expects teachers to teach several DC from different year groups with no training and no equipment, while trying to do a completely different job.

I’m really surprised that teachers lack of access to tech is an issue. I would have assumed that most teachers would have a PC or laptop at home to make their pre-pandemic lives easier

I daresay a lot of households, like ours, only have one laptop. Where two of you are WFH, you need a second one. Thankfully, DP's employer provided him with one because it had to be all encrypted and stuff for security reasons. (I say thankfully, DP would have flatly refused to spend our own money on something for work, so that would have been an amusing stand-off.)

I also think it's really important to move away from this false notion that live lessons are the best for the remote learning. People have assumed this simply because it's what the private schools have been doing but the research does not support this.

The research by the EEF shows that what is important is that lessons build on prior learning - the method of delivery makes no difference whatsoever.

@RobustRemoteSchool We’ve used a range of pre-recorded and worksheet lessons plus a weekly phonecall home. Absolutely nothing ‘live’ because it’s not appropriate where I work - children are having to fit in with parents and siblings and it wouldn’t be reasonable to expect them to access a lesson at a specified time. So in answer to the question, no I haven’t really been teaching until now (my year group are back at school). It is incredibly difficult to ‘teach’ without being physically present.

I also think its unrealistic to expect any type of effective remote schooling for young children that requires no parental input and lasts a whole school day.

Iamnotthe1 It’s odd that research doesn’t support live lessons.

Without the contact with other people, the interaction of the chat function, the class humour and the competitive aspect of class learning, my ds would give up on most lessons within about 10 minutes.

Before his school got their act together (week1), I had to sit with him and coax him through every session. Now that all lessons are on Teams with a set timetable, I just need to get him logged in by 9.10 and he does the rest.
For us at least, live lessons are essential.

A much more realistic issue is that parents simply can't teach and work

I think that is the main issue. I have one at primary and one with complex SN. I have up on any home schooling mid may as I was totally burned out WFH and trying to teach 2 kids incl one that usually attends a special school as her needs are so high. We only have 1 laptop too which I need during the day for work so any online lectures would be inaccessible unless DC2 wants to spend start 'school' after 5 pm when I am done.

Kids need to be back in school. Full time. Nothing else.

Our business donated equipment to NHS, most big companies who are thinking of reducing office space probably or will have lots of kit laying about, just be bought at a low cost by the government and reused. Good for the environment too.

dairyfairies - they will be. Its just the government has started to set out some expectations for teaching online that can start immediatley if a child has to self isolate, if shielding starts again for children as cases rise, if a year group gets sent home due to an outbreak in that group, if there is a local lockdown like leicester. So the idea is their educatation doesnt get interrupted in the way it has now. Its a huge undertaking really.

@Mintjulia
Without the contact with other people, the interaction of the chat function, the class humour and the competitive aspect of class learning, my ds would give up on most lessons within about 10 minutes.

Interaction is very important but can be facilitated in other ways. For example, by utilising Google Classroom, the class can interact whilst also giving meaningful advice and feedback to each other on their work. This has been shown to boost the effectiveness of remote learning but isn't possible in live lessons. Through Google Classroom, I can also see all the work completed by my class whilst they are working on it and give them feedback on an individual level in real time. Again, live lessons limit me in this respect.

Many children across the country have been, and continue to be, unable to access live provision, particular those in multi-children households, those in economically deprived areas and those in households where the parents are also having to use tech to work from home. @dairyfairies is right when she says that children need to be back in school physically which is the plan for everyone in September. That's why it's even more worrying to see scores of people out getting drunk and ignoring all social distancing which makes local lockdowns even more likely.

My DD (mild SEN, age 7) has received online school since Easter. She can't really access it even with one of us sitting by her side. It's a rubbish substitute. And that's with a really excellent teacher supported by two good TAs.

Schools don’t tell parents everything they’re planning because it’s changing constantly. My school was planning, before the guidance was released, for a “most likely scenario” of 1m distancing and 50% cohort in at once. Then the guidance was released so their main focus has changed. They have various contingencies in place for different scenarios but do have to focus on what is perceived as most likely. if they said to parents “this is what we’re planning” and then the govt moved the goalposts (again) there’s bound to be parents getting their knickers in a twist about it. Teachers get info About reopening at the same time you do!

I'm glad that much clearer expectations have been set out in terms of expectations of remote learning finally.

Our school is ready, but because we have been delivering the normal timetable via Teams throughout, it's not a huge change for us. We are very lucky in that the students have the necessary tech to access the teaching. In the autumn, I am envisaging lessons continuing as normal in the classroom and students dialling in remotely if they are isolating.

don’t know why no one is focusing on or discussion plans for robust remote education provision to sit as a safety net behind the ‘back to school’ plans

We are.

The wide eyed faux nativity “oh I’m surprised teachers don’t have computers” and then the “I don’t know what on earth teachers are doing” somewhat undermine an important discussion.

What job do you do, OP?

Our SLT sent out a parent survey about this earlier this week. Overwhelming feedback was that parents were happy with our offer, but in light of that particular piece of the guidance (we sent a link to it with the survey) they would much prefer teacher videos offline. This is so that parents who are trying to WFH/home educate siblings of different ages/care for babies or toddlers can access the lessons at a time that suits them. There was also a general reluctance to allow younger children their own tablet/laptop etc, and thus they would be sharing with siblings. This seems to not be a financial issue (village primary, wealthy area) but one based on principle.

All of the schools in neighbouring villages sent out the same survey, and report the same response to the online vs offline question.

Our SLT are tying themselves in knots now, wondering if we are going to somehow be penalised in the future (Ofsted?) if we don’t provide live online teaching. In an ideal world we are just responding to what our community have asked for, but we all know it’s not that simple...

You’re also being disingenuous- your Twitter account says “a group of parents” as does the petition.

Here, you’re talking as though you are an individual- which is it?

@modgepodge The village WiFi issue - I’m glad it’s not just us! I live in the village next to the village in which I teach, and during our class Zoom catch ups we always have at least ten children drop out and back in at some point. Chaos usually reigns when it’s me who drops out!

The tech for teachers is also an issue that needs addressing. We’ve been filming videos by holding phones up with one hand and writing/drawing diagrams/modelling maths on a mini whiteboard with another. Our head has applied for the grant for visualisers etc, but our ICT support have raised queries about compatibility issues with our devices at home. My MacBook is nine years old and works brilliantly for the usual evening work of planning etc, but has had issues with the heavy use recently. It would be fab if there could be a lending scheme for teachers in this situation; I’m not in a position to fork out a huge amount for a new MacBook when mine works perfectly for my ‘normal’ role.

If it's surprising that not all school staff have good quality ICT at home for their personal use, surely it's just as surprising that so many parents talk of having one laptop that their dc have to share in the evenings when the parent finishes wfh? No one had planned ahead for this kind of life.
My normal wfh after school would consist of answering emails, professional reading and doing internet research - all possible on an old iPad or my phone. Never planned for needing to do videos, PowerPoints, google classroom at home.

Ds will always be in school unless he has to self isolate and I don't think any sort of remote learning is possible due to the level of his needs. Self isolation will be such a nightmare that education will be the least of my worries.