Aibu school not sending home work for isolating but well kids

[TomNooksBalanceBook]

My ds(3) and I are immunocompromised. We catch every bug going and with him in nursery 2 days a week that means a lot of bugs. We’ve had six instances of temporary isolation waiting for negative covid tests from so-called symptomatic family members since September (usually just a fever) . Today marks beginning of isolation period number 7. My partner is a medic in the local hospital so we cannot risk ignoring possible symptoms we ‘know’ is just a cold. He’s missing quite a few shifts waiting on results too. Results are usually within 24 hours but sometimes more.

For the second time in the past seven days my dd is having to isolate and miss school, last week was three days. A fortnight or so before was five days due to delayed tests. She’s year 6.

School haven’t sent any work home for DD in any of these isolation periods. I’ve requested them to do so and they just respond with it isnt policy. I’m worried about her falling behind.

Aibu given how often we’re all going to end up being tested over winter, to expect that the school should have a facility to send work home for kids isolating but perfectly healthy? They spent so much time and energy setting up teams and blended learning over lockdown and summer that maybe it could be used as a means of sending worksheets home for isolating kids?

I do appreciate that teachers are overworked in a normal year but I thought schools were preparing for this eventuality.

This is the government/DfE expectation:

Remote education expectations
Where a class, group or a small number of pupils need to self-isolate, or local restrictions require 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 curriculum, for example through technology, and have a strong contingency plan in place for remote education provision. 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 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
For secondary schools teaching pupils remotely in a rota system because of tier 2 local restrictions, modified remote education expectations apply. These can be found in how schools can plan for educational tier 2 local restrictionn_.
We expect schools to consider these expectations in relation to the pupils’ age, stage of development 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.
We have now published a temporary continuity directionn_ which makes it clear that schools have a duty to provide remote education for state-funded, school-age children unable to attend school due to coronavirus (COVID-19). This came into effect from 22 October 2020. The direction poses no additional expectations on the quality of remote education expected of schools beyond those set out in this guidance.
Special educational needs
For pupils with SEND, their teachers are best-placed to know how the pupil’s needs can be most effectively met to ensure they continue to make progress even if they are not able to be in school due to self-isolating. The requirement for schools to use their best endeavours to secure the special educational provision called for by the pupils’ special educational needs remains in place.
Schools should work collaboratively with families, putting in place reasonable adjustments as necessary, so that pupils with SEND can successfully access remote education alongside their peers.
Where a pupil has provision specified within their EHC plan, it remains the duty of the local authority and any health bodies to secure or arrange the delivery of this in the setting that the plan names. However, there may be times when it becomes very difficult to do so, for example, if they are self-isolating. In this situation, decisions on how provision can be delivered should be informed by relevant considerations including, for example, the types of services that the pupil can access remotely, for example, online teaching and remote sessions with different types of therapists. These decisions should be considered on a case by case basis, avoiding a one size fits all approach.
Vulnerable children
Where individuals who are self-isolating are within our definition of vulnerable, it is important that schools put systems in place to keep in contact with them.
When a vulnerable child is asked to self-isolate, schools should notify their social worker (if they have one). School leaders should then agree with the social worker the best way to maintain contact and offer support to the vulnerable child or young person.
Schools should also have in place procedures to check if a vulnerable child is able to access remote education support, to support them to access it (as far as possible) and to regularly check if they are doing so.
Delivering remote education safely
Keeping children safe online is essential. The statutory guidance keeping children safe in educationn_ provides schools and colleges with information on what they should be doing to protect their pupils online.
Support on delivering online remote education safely is available from:
• safe remote learningg_, published by SWGfL
• online safety and safeguardingg_, published by LGfL, which covers safe remote learning
• the National Cyber Security Centre, which includes which video conference service is right for youu and using video conferencing services securelyy
• safeguarding and remote education during coronavirus (COVID-19))_
• annex C of keeping children safe in educationn_
Remote education support
Read how you can get help with remote educationn_ for links to a range of support for schools.
This support has been co-designed with schools and will include a range of school-led webinarss_ and resources intended to share good practice. This is in addition to the video lessons offered by the sector-led Oak National Academy and other providers of quality education resources.
Available support includes peer-to-peer advice and training through the EdTech Demonstrator programmee, as well as guidance on how schools can order devices and get help with technology for remote educationn.

I would imagine that self-selecting isolaters are outside the school's responsibility. My school in Victoria does this.

They have access to on-line lesson plans but no individual communication.

Do they not put anything on the school website for remote leaning. My youngest is isolating and school have sent learning videos and uploaded work on the school website and if people can't print anything off they will print packs off and leave them in the schools reception.

I work I'm an infant school and oversee the home/re,ore learning.
We provide an English, maths and phonics session daily - this is a ,ox of pre recorded videos/voice over slide shows created by our teaching staff, work,] sheets, activities, online games, links on online sites such as oak national academy or bitesize, etc. We also provide 1 or 2 other non core subjects each day too, these are often external links.

It can be very tricky as teachers are obviously in class teaching. Live lessons don't work for our age group, so it means than staff have to produce these materials outside of the classroom- it's yet another job to add to their work load as nothing else has stopped - it's the same workload plus this.

We provide this in a learning platform with back up files and documents on a google drive. Staff can respond to work done in the learning platform, though this is usually outside of work hours and is a basic comment, not detailed feedback.

It takes a lot of work to produce and plan, but we are doing it. Unfortunately not that many isolating children and bubbles are currently completing it - about 20% we've worked out. Much less than lockdown. So a lot of work for not much take up. We can't insist on it though as we have to accept that parents are balancing home learning with work from home, etc.

Your school, if in England, has to provide re one learning. As of 22 October the rules on this became more strict. Even if it's just links to oak academy they have to do something.

Our school offer a daily syllabus sent out via class App each morning. Usually a maths sheet plus online math task, literacy task, independent reading, health and well-being plus something project related or physical activity.

Are the family members your isolating due to waiting for tests in your household? Sounds like an awful lot of time isolating

What you legally have to do for self-isolating pupils.
When a pupil self-isolates, what is expected of schools?

We have taken these queries to the Department for Education, and a spokesperson has responded.

What does 'immediate' actually mean?

"We expect schools to provide immediate provision of remote education, as set out in the guidance, so that pupils do not fall behind. This provision should start from the first full school day a child has to remain at home."

What format is acceptable? Does it include printed booklets /worksheets or is it only online?

"We understand that immediate remote education provision may be challenging for some schools. Schools may consider different forms of remote education such as printed resources or textbooks, supplemented with other forms of communication to keep pupils on track or answer questions about work."

How many hours of learning are schools expected to deliver to the child? And how is this to be monitored?

"When teaching pupils remotely, we expect schools to plan a programme that is of equivalent length to the core teaching pupils would receive in school, ideally including daily contact with teachers."

www.tes.com/news/coronavirus-schools-remote-learning-what-you-legally-have-do-self-isolating-pupils

www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/3642261

Are the family members your isolating due to waiting for tests in your household?

I wondered this too

Who are these family members? Your children?

Could you take DS out of nursery temporarily, put him with a childminder or relative where he's less likely to come into contact with loads of germy kids?

I think you can't expect the school to prep lessons for just you 7 x a term

Look up your child's curriculum path and follow that as best you can.

I think you can't expect the school to prep lessons for just you 7 x a term

Actually the government/DfE says they have to.

The school don’t provide anything online other than the weeks homework of 10 spelling words and writing sentences including them via teams.

We’re in Edinburgh so it’s a different education department dealing with rules from England.

The school have explicitly stated they don’t send work home right now. I don’t expect teachers to have to teach online unless the whole class were having to isolate but setting some revision worksheets or even the teaching plan/curriculum/ same worksheets they have at school during the week seems a sensible option for kids who like mine may end up isolating often due to the number of fevers & coughs Myself and my son get.

The fact that ds (10) is ill so much over the Winter months is one of the reasons we ate keeping him home (It is also on the advice of his dr) - so every time he is ill, it means stopping and starting not just for him, but also his older sisters.

School should he providing remote learning provision, for periods of self isolation, or if a child is staying home as they have been deemed vulnerable.

Are you working? I think if both you and your 3 year old are immunocompromised, I would not want them at nursery.

Family members are mentioned in OP, my son, my daughter and my partner and maybe I didn’t make clear enough in OP that yes we are waiting on test results.

From the Scottish guidelines for schools

Is it possible for you and your son to shield, op?

In smaller schools teachers now have no planning time at all. They are even expected to supervise lunchtimes.

They have enough to do in planning classroom lessons and marking work set without also planning for DCs not in school.

What's needed is for the government to stump up cash for supply teachers so class teachers can plan work. But it's unreasonable to expect them to do more than they are already doing, imo.

YANBU, OP. DS had to isolate over half term and for a few days afterwards - his school sent through links to 4 or 5 Oak Academy lessons per day for him to work through (he's Year 3), as well as the usual homework.

@HazeyJaneIII I already shield - never really came out of it but my son needs some social interaction with peers and I’m concerned about his well-being if he’s always at home with , me who at the moment can’t really care for him too well on my own or take him out. We have no additional support nearby so family isn’t an option.

@TomNooksBalanceBook

The school don’t provide anything online other than the weeks homework of 10 spelling words and writing sentences including them via teams.

We’re in Edinburgh so it’s a different education department dealing with rules from England.

The school have explicitly stated they don’t send work home right now. I don’t expect teachers to have to teach online unless the whole class were having to isolate but setting some revision worksheets or even the teaching plan/curriculum/ same worksheets they have at school during the week seems a sensible option for kids who like mine may end up isolating often due to the number of fevers & coughs Myself and my son get.

They are unlikely to give you a lesson plan as that's the teacher's working document, will possible have sensitive information on about specific children/groups of children, may include abbreviations, etc that don't mean much to you, etc.

The same worksheets may or may not be useful without the teaching beforehand.

I don't know the rules in Scotland regarding remote learning, only in England.

In the mean time it may be work taking a look at bitesize or oak national academy.

The Scottish guidelines also say there should be remote learning in place for those self isolating or shielding.

Op - would it be possible to keep him at home, just until Christmas, especially if he is also vulnerable? It should still be possible to go for walks (although apologies if you ate unable to do this).

In such an important year as year 6 as very surprised work isnt being sent. My year 8 gets a full curriculum of online learning if they need to isolate. I understand teachers have alot and they shoyld he given more support. Children are entitled to the full curriculum when they are out of school for such long periods through no fault of their own .

I agree it’s an important year, & I know that my child’s school would be providing work in the same circumstance.

You may be fighting a losing battle though, so perhaps you could try the Twinkl website? It was invaluable for us during the earlier lockdown when my daughter’s school was closed (for her).

Thanks I’ll look at the websites you’ve mentioned.

My cousin in Glasgow has had work sent home from school when they were isolating so maybe just a Lothians thing. Relatively new in the area so don’t know the school too well. Might just be their own policy

Find something on YouTube for child. Endless stuff on there.