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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

If schools get closed how to teach subjects from home

61 replies

KoalasandRabbit · 14/03/2020 11:55

Looks like our secondary maybe shutting soon and looking into ways of teaching from home / helping kids learn from home during that period. Hopefully things will be provided by school but would like to have back-ups. Am also wondering how our rural internet will cope with 4 of us on at once as DH's work is also closing and he will be wfh too.

Maths we have books, science have a Kerboodle password so those are OK. Looking for resources for English x 2, Geography, History, French. Thanks very much. Year 8 and year 9 top sets and year 9 has started GCSE in English and History.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 15/03/2020 00:31

Check out the (lack of) action on this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3842540-Teachers-What-is-your-school-doing

Zodlebud · 15/03/2020 00:38

As you read through the thread though more teachers are being told to prepare.

Seems all a bit scattergun and inconsistent though. I think the plan is to keep schools open but to enable remote working if necessary?

Original poster
KoalasandRabbit · 15/03/2020 00:40

At our school up until last week the Head was sending out messages saying everything is carrying on as normal, we will never shut, all international school trips are on. Friday's newsletter said the same including Italy, Spain and French trips are on, we know there's a ban on Italy travel now but we are going Hmm, if children get coronavirus we are staying open. Only hint of anything was parents evening is cancelled on 19th as we'll be preparing for school closure. Atm teachers are giving different messages - one of DDs said on Friday the school will never close. DS's teacher said school closure was imminent and school was preparing a website for when they are closed. DDs form tutor said school being told week by week if open that week and all they knew was open until Friday.

My kids don't have anything yet nor do I. We may get something at some point but lots of teachers are off and many supply teachers are in. Maths is being taught by art and PE teachers last week. Science by a supply computing teacher. The school have said it may have to close due to a lack of staff. Hopefully they'll have a good work from home set up but I wouldn't bet on it. The Head is currently off and we have a temporary Head who seems to be acting like an ostrich.

OP posts:
FloggingMoll · 15/03/2020 09:08

I've got lots of contacts in HE and they're all prepping for closure - some have even done so. The general consensus amongst teaching staff in my neck of the woods is that they'll string it along as far as they can towards Easter and then close.

On the other hand, I tutor secondary school students and they've all been told that the schools will stay open. I've been wondering whether, aside from the economic implications, they're also trying to mitigate panic amongst the kids.

Bloody dark times, at any rate.

@Cat0115 Ooh, will check them out! Thanks for the tip.

fedup21 · 15/03/2020 09:16

All schools in Herts received an email this week I believe. It should have been countrywide.

What exactly did the email say? Who was it from?

Zodlebud · 15/03/2020 09:29

@fedup21 I heard it from the deputy head at a school who I am good friends with (not the school my children go to).

This news article seems to support it but they don’t quote any sources.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/hertfordshire-coronavirus-uk-schools-alert-3941670.amp

Original poster
KoalasandRabbit · 15/03/2020 09:34

Thanks for the recommendation Cat sent it on to DD. Not currently getting any enthusiastic vibe for English but hopefully one of the above will inspire her. Smile Wish school didn't make them take it in year 10, its her weakest subject.

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Oblomov20 · 15/03/2020 10:02

Watching with interest. Haven't heard anything recently from school.

CoffeeAndToffee · 15/03/2020 15:40

Thank you FloggingMoll for the list of websites, some really useful links there.

Darbs76 · 15/03/2020 19:35

Our school uses google classroom to set homework so I’d imagine they’d set work with resources. My main worry is DS’s GCSE’s in 2 months. My daughter will be fine in year 7

Original poster
KoalasandRabbit · 17/03/2020 13:38

DD's school is closed for year 9s going forward - other years sent in. Work has been sent for English and school say they are investigating how to teach online for the others. Glad DD is out. DS still in for the moment. Said it's due to staffing levels and only year 9 atm, other years may follow. DD says they are the most difficult year but also presumably want to keep GCSE years in and maybe then gone oldest to youngest so DS in y8 maybe next. Hoping its soon.

DD was off today but up to yesterday no-one had checked / given children any passwords. It says on letter don't e-mail any teachers. Thankfully we are up and running with our own system and DD has made a timetable and we've signed up to Seneca and it's going well today.

OP posts:
portico · 18/03/2020 04:20

Hi KoalasandRabbit
In the event your child works at home, I suggest you also buy question practice books (CGP, Letts, Collins etc). Mine pretend to read, and get flummoxed when I try and get them to do questions - which means they were dissing or reading poorly. Question practice is a good way of building confidence. If internet is slow, trying buying question practice books from your local booksellers, or Amazon.

middleager · 18/03/2020 04:31

Thanks for the links.

One thing that also worries me is the amount of screen time over possibly months, day in day out.

middleager · 18/03/2020 04:34

My friend in Spain is teaching via Google Classrom and says it's going ok (don't know how its broadband compares).

Original poster
KoalasandRabbit · 18/03/2020 15:12

Thanks very much, we have some CGP books etc. DD is doing really well and adjusting well to working from home, doing the lessons school have set - it's a bit patchy from school no maths and science from school and many of practical subjects they can't do, English work is very low level, French very high level but a transition period. DD is using the alternatives to cover the gaps and learn more and she seems very happy. The kids have made class group chats so still have social contact.

DS will be more tricky as he's ASD and lost all his passwords, desperately trying to get school to help but they say no-one can reset them. I can set up an alternative scheme of work but DS wants to do school one. Glad to have one out of two up and running.

OP posts:
Gettingthroughtheweek · 18/03/2020 15:21

The prospect of closure of schools here fills my son with delight (not). I will have three adult children at a loose end (universities closed) standing ready to tutor their younger brother intensively. All he likes is computing. But he’s about to get intensive tuition from specialists in English, languages and maths .... and the x box is broken....

BubblesBuddy · 19/03/2020 16:30

I heard a Headteacher yesterday on the radio say they were not intending to teach the DC that had to go into school because their parent(s) were key workers. I was astounded I have to say. He said that, as others would not be taught at home, it was not fair to teach the ones who were in school! Unbelievable! These may well be the DC who really need help as their parents are invaluable in fighting this. To hear a Head say they will not be taught and teachers will only babysit is just wrong, in my view. The teachers are getting paid and should do a reasonable job for the DC in their care even in these tough times. Everyone else is expected to. Can you imagine a Doctor saying this? That they will turn up for work, get paid, but do the work of a care assistant!

BubblesBuddy · 19/03/2020 16:32

The ones who will suffer in all of this is always going to be the children with no-one to teach them at home and no one with a reasonable level of education in the family to help out. It is true to say there are very many families like this. So the attainment gap gets bigger!

Original poster
KoalasandRabbit · 19/03/2020 17:20

I saw someone else post the schools for key workers children in France is basically childcare not education. I wasn't expecting that either - wasn't expecting top quality education but the same work as given to other children with teachers there to ask for help. Obviously if its the art teacher and a completely different subject or vice versa help might be limited but would be similar to having an educated parent help. My children think there's only about 2 kids in their class that will meet the criteria but will see - I would have thought more like 5 and so you could have 1 class per year. Our school still hasn't sent home work for quite a few subjects including the 3 sciences so think there will be a widening gap with those who haven't got parents helping. Though hopefully will be through soon. Atm no-one can ask for help, parents and children told not to e-mail this week but think they are frantic atm and feel for them having to work over Easter. I hope people working in the emergency services aren't expected to educate their kids after work. My SIL and BIL are having to do that in France though not key workers but both full-time jobs.

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 19/03/2020 17:56

To hear a Head say they will not be taught and teachers will only babysit is just wrong, in my view.

Great. Then you can explain how to design a curriculum for a daily changing and large selection of children aged from 4-13, some vulnerable or with EHCPs, in a hub school that is staffed on a rota.

I’ll await your expert response.

BubblesBuddy · 19/03/2020 18:13

Well as the expert, I expect you to sort out what can be taught. It could even be revision! It is morally wrong to accept full salary and just babysit. Everyone has to pull their weight and do their best. Not just turn up and do the minimum for decent pay when millions of others are not being paid at all! Try personalised education! Good God! So entitled!

noblegiraffe · 19/03/2020 18:23

Bubbles the experts are telling you it can’t be done. Personalised education? Ffs we don’t know these kids.

TeenPlusTwenties · 19/03/2020 19:00

bubbles the teachers will be sorting out workpacks and answering queries, marking or whatever. They can supervise children who are in in the same way parents can supervise, but not actually teach.

BubblesBuddy · 19/03/2020 19:20

That’s not what the guy on the radio said. He said there wouldn’t be school work. Just minding the children. However the children we have in our schools at the moment are a generation that’s never been so tested and assessed. Teachers know more about the current generation of DC than any generation before. The idea that their assessment data cannot be accessed, the children asked about what they would like to have explained to them or revision set according to their needs seems like it’s back to the dark ages. I absolutely do recognise that some teachers will go all out to do their best and help the children, especially ones where there is a need to close the gap and have parents who are less able to help. They are truly losing out.

noblegiraffe · 19/03/2020 19:25

He said there wouldn’t be school work.

Their schools would be setting them work, same as for their other kids. You demanded that we teach them. This isn’t feasible.

I’ll remind you again that this will be a mixed ability, mixed age group of kids from random schools. Assessment data from what? What am I supposed to teach them?

Your expectations are just laughably unrealistic.