Really impressed with home learning this time

[Randomlola]

DS has been sent home to self isolate and straight away was switched over to 5 hours of live lessons on teams, where he can actually talk to other students and ask questions. I'm so impressed I have completely changed my opinion on blended learning and would be happy for him to be at home part of the time. I think the problem was, during lockdown 1 he was set work every day but had finished it all after 2 hours at most, and there was no/little feedback from teachers, so his motivation started to suffer. I was dreading him sitting around again spending hours gaming. But school has really stepped up this time and doing a great job. What experience are others having?

My ds is only in reception but home learning this time has been amazing.
The only problem being I have an 8 week old so I've struggled to support him with it. School have been brilliant and so caring.

@Treaclepie19 it must be hard trying to help your DS when you have a tiny baby to look after as well. I should have said, my DS is year 11 so able to get on with school work by himself luckily.

It has been! But we've managed and school have made it as easy as possible for people to dip in and out 😊 Live sessions twice a day that are also recorded and then work to complete as and when.

Home learning for my two has been superb-both primary and secondary. Amazing work by the schools and I cannot praise them enough

Opposite here! Tbf though it was only ds isolating (not his whole class) so wasn't expecting much. Were supposed to get suggestions of things to follow on oak academy but didn't happen. However used oak academy in conjunction with the online stuff school provided last academic year (as it's all still up and he has obviously gone up a year). He is only 9 so wasn't overly concerned but has not won me over to part time school

That wasn't supposed to be a dig at schools/teacher BTW before I get leapt on, ours were good last year and obviously difficult to provide for a single child.

That’s great to hear. We haven’t had to isolate yet but I really hope that’s standard across most schools (I worry it’s not).

I think by now it should be a legal requirement for schools to have that kind of set up.

Loads better. My 7 year old just had 2 weeks isolating and had a full school day, with register at 9am and 1.15pm, maths and English lessons each morning and an another topic each afternoon (including pe!). Fab effort from the teacher and school, but I actually found it harder as I work full time from home and it was harder making sure that he was on for each session on time around my calls! But I can't complain as a million times better than the few worksheets the first lockdown

Agree, over the summer it was patchy at best but it it very much improved at our school now too!

Schools had 2 days notice to set up their home Learning systems in the first lockdown. Now they have had a little while to come up with a coherent system so it's not a surprise it's working better.

Now that it's clear what the expectations is it's easier to plan for it. The school I work at went straight in for setting 6 hours worth of work per day plus homework and got a lot of flak from parents saying it was far too much.

Now that we've had training on live-streaming, the expectation is that they needs to be online and in the stream for all of their lessons. In the event of a closure, I'm not sure if that would be quite the same if teachers were at home. Personally I'd struggle to livestream for six hours per day with a baby and a three year old in the house.

There's now an Ofsted requirement regarding home learning (don't know the exact wording).

My one Y10 has had three periods of SI since Sept due to school cases.

The first, after a week back, was a mixed bag of home learning. He had no work for 2 days and I had to prompt school. On his return he had to sit Assessments in the lessons that school had missed.

The second lot a couple of weeks later was a bit better with the odd live lesson

The third, most recent, was better with the odd live lesson. This was the first period since the new Ofsted guidelines around home learning.

My other y10 at another school is on his first lot due to a case at school, with live lessons in one subject. It's been fine.

Their eyesight, staring at screens for 6 weeks, is another matter!

I was dreading DS being stuffed with GCSES coming up and multiple self isolations but I don't think he will be if it carries on like this.