Independent school - unhappy with quality of remote learning

[jeanne16]

I know it’s early days but I am unhappy with what is on offer. The school has issued a new timetable and there is very little content imo. Lots of sessions such as independent reading, finishing off tasks (with no tasks left to finish), wellbeing sessions (what is that?). 1 zoom session per week on maths and English and 1 per fortnight on history etc.

To make matters worse, they are giving us a paltry 10% off the fees, whereas other schools are giving up to 25%.

What are other people experiencing?

Is this primary or secondary?
My child’s independent secondary have a full full timetable with proper remote learning set up. But if this is primary age then I would be happy with what you describe. Children of this age need emotional support more than academic learning in this difficult time. And the school will still have overheads and staff to pay so I think any kind of reduction, even 10%, is fair. Our school haven’t given any reduction but they have held off a fee increase for next year.

Well we are state school but for comparison
Using Microsoft teams, each subject is setting work. DD in year 7 has had 4 maths worksheets this week - all 4 pages long to be completed by Friday.
No live or online lessons as such but has work set or use of apps for all thier subjects and frequency seems to be similar to how many lessons a week they normally have.

What age group? I'm guessing quite young

Also, as term has only just begun, are you sure what you have seen in last 24 hours is representative of everything that will,be set over the coming weeks!

That's poor. Our school is giving a 43% reduction and is following the normal school timetable with all lessons delivered digitally via Teams including sessions like school chapel, assembly, exercise (yoga, HIIT etc) and optional counselling.

No it is a secondary school hence my concern. Also they started last Wednesday so have had a few days. To be fair, as well as the 1 zoom session per week for each of maths and English, they also have a slot where work is set. I don’t think it is sufficient though.

As with stunt we are teaching full timetable via teams ‘live’. Bigger discount too!

I have one in state Primary (Y5) and one in state Secondary (Y8). Both have full timetables, weekly calls with their form tutors and teachers on hand for every subject to answer questions etc. This has been in place since day 1. I am incredibly impressed with how they have handled it all. Have you been happy with the school previously?

I know the school has furloughed some of the teaching staff but haven’t said how many. I am suspicious that they can’t put on a full timetable as they have furloughed too many.

Our school has got a full timetable, the only thing they are 'missing' is tutor periods and the RE (not doing as a GCSE). Even PE/Games has work to do. I think our school has done a really good job, the teachers are all in the lesson going through topics. Some are doing the odd test but going through it when they've completed it. We have a 10% reduction as well.

Daily registration. Mix online and offline lessons / work set in each subject. Some teachers have their own children at home or other caring responsibilities so are doing less online and just setting work which is fair enough. My employer is cutting me a lot of slack as I try and Home Ed / constantly supervise a child. Not everyone will be available to do their usual work uninterrupted.

I sit next to my child during lessons. The majority are using Google classroom and meeting. It's very interactive and calm, without too much pressure. This is important, I feel, until the children adapt to this style of learning and discipline.
It's very interesting to observe the different teacher's styles and the content and tools which our children use. So different to my school days. Much more stimulating and far more focus on thinking for themselves than learning by rote.
I'm impressed by the way the children and teachers have adapted so quickly but they have used chrome books since Y7 so perhaps this has been helpful.
Ten percent fee reduction - although many parents have opted not to take the offer and to support the school during this period.
Full daily timetable including assemblies and tutor time.
No complaints here.

We're at a prep. We have an assembly every day (kind of pointless but actually nice as they show photos of what everyone's up to and do hymns and stuff). They have four lessons through out the day one hours each. It's stuff to be done and handed in which then gets marked but the teacher is available on the google class room to answer questions if they get stuck.

What will happen to the teachers if schools have to reduce the fees? They don’t get paid well as it is. I’m sure the quality/quantity of teaching will improve as everyone adjusts but they need to be kept in the job.

I agree lefters. I’m assuming most people want schools for their children to go back to when the lockdown is over and for those schools to still have their full good quality quota of teaching staff. If some schools slash fees significantly those schools might not make it through the crisis as a viable business. And yes some teachers have their own children to look after in the midst of all this or are actually in schools looking after key worker and vulnerable children so they can’t all be teaching via Microsoft teams or whatever the schools chosen interactive system is.
We are in unusual times, I think people just need to be a bit more lenient and understanding than they normally would be.

@Lefters It really depends on the financial situation of the individual school. Some schools will need to delay development projects that were on the cards but will have plenty of money for existing commitments like staff pay. Other schools were already in a precarious financial situation and may fold entirely.

My year 10 daughter is having a full timetable via Zoom and nightly assessed homework. We also have a 40% reduction in fees. No complaints here so far.

Our school set up and trailed remote learning before Easter break. They go back next week (and have extended the summer term by two weeks) and after feedback have decided to do a slightly shorter day, so 8.40-3.15 rather than to 4.30, with five subjects taught each day. Not ideal but I think the best they could do under the circumstances. 25% reduction in fees this term.

10% reduction in fees but 50% reduction in teaching here. They said it would be full timetable but in reality plenty of the periods are blacked out for "homeworking" where there's nothing to do, plus PE/Games/Swimming. Top London indie, year 8.

Can't fault my children's school (independent)- they've had a full timetable of lessons -a mixture of sheets etc to do at home (written specifically by the teachers for home-learning not just crappy old sheets), videos made by teachers, plus zoom and MS teams. Curriculum includes one sport session per day (work outs to do at home etc) and some non-academic sessions (things to read/watch about interesting stuff outside the curriculum, art projects, baking etc etc). Work is submitted online and assessed. Decent reduction in fees (although personally I would happily pay the full amount- I don't agree with parents demanding money off).

There have been a few hiccups with the IT system but they seem to be fixed now.

One thing I'd like them to add is a weekly video from the head to make up for the loss of assemblies.

Full timetable with most of the key subjects on zoom (eg 3 of 4 Maths / English lessons) and about half zoom plus some very sensible use of home facilities to do practical things like science and art. Lots of extra PE options like HIIT. Quick response to emails about pastoral issues. Also doing registration and formtime, and zoom access so they can work together virtually in class even when it’s not scheduled to be a teacher led zoom session, which has been great for social contact.

The IT set up was a pain (dd had no laptop, and our internet safety measures sometimes block things she needs, so we’re continually updating permissions and white lists), but the actual provision is excellent. This is a top London indie - for what we pay, I would expect no less.

DD has an almost normal timetable less the enrichment stuff, or time consuming bollox as I call it. At least half of the timetabled lessons must be on zoom and work and prep set for any others. We got a 10% discount but those who can pay full price are expected to so we will.

But DD is lower 6th and I think there may be a lot more effort for the exam years as they don't want them to go back behind. DS2 starts next week and he's boarding so I'll be interested to see what they do.

We have no discount. I’d say they’re doing about 50% of normal work. It’s not really good enough considering the huge amount of work coming home from my younger one’s state primary.

I teach at an indie school and trying to teach online as much as poss but some kids have iffy internet and mine went down completely today and nothing I could do so I think a mix of stuff they can do away from the screen reading and thinking needs to be in the mix. We can’t all be online when we need to even trying our hardest.

I think the larger discounts are being given by the schools that are more likely to struggle financially - the ones which are small or have less affluent parent bodies.

Isn't the reality that schools can't cut their costs that much. There are some savings to be made, but if they need to keep their teachers, that is the majority of the costs. I really don't understand parents who seem to expect or demand a discount of more than 10 or 15%. School fees aren't like paying your hairdresser for a haircut and you pay for exactly the service you receive as you receive it. Parents choose a school for 4 or 5 or 7 or even 11 years. They want it to be there next year and in future for their children, but for some reasons can't seem to equate the impact of a massive loss of income now to the impact it will have on the education of their children in the next few years.

It seems to me that the bigger, more affluent schools have taken advice and offer very small discounts and these have caveats such as, if schools return before the end of term, higher fees will be expected. The bigger schools are in a stronger position, especially those in London which have high demand and higher salaries, plus day schools are in a stronger position too, with less dependence on international boarders who may not be able to return. They are also the ones not giving too much away, knowing there might be later outbreaks of Covid or lockdowns - schools need to survive now but also to be able into the future. A discount of 40% might look nice this week when fees are due, but what will that mean for the education of your child in 2 years time, or the ability of the school to weather a 2nd Covid outbreak in a year or so?

Anyway, we are receiving a mix of live lessons on Teams, plus work set for the rest of the time (secondary) - seems a good balance - a bit of flexibility rather than 8-4 online watching a teacher all day seems a good idea. My DC have had to work 8.30-4 these last 2 days to get through their work and attend their live lessons,plus Form time and an assembly.

I think experiences vary quite widely, but it's really difficult to say X experience is worth a 20% discount and Y experience is worth a 5% discount,

I guess fees vary hugely too. Some small schools have much lower fees - but if it's iften parents in these schools that are demanding the big reductions.

@WombatChocolate Well said.

I emailed a few of the Child's teachers last night and said thank you. The thanks were much appreciated.