Here we are again. The New Year is upon us and the start of the new term with rising anxiety and making us all wonder what is round the corner (again). We are here to help and offer some practical advice on how to prepare for another possible disruption to the education and wellbeing of our young people. Whether there is disruption to schools in the New Year or not, all schools have some children and staff who have covid or are self-isolating. The DfE have stated their preferred approach to remote learning is via live streaming with regular feedback: Covid: 'Combining classes' can keep pupils in school, DfE tells heads| Tes
Luckily, we are a long way from where we were nearly two years ago when there were whispers of schools closing and being plunged into the murky waters of remote learning. Since then, we have come a long way – Google Classroom, Teams, Tapestry and See-Saw to name a few. These are familiar names to households and staff. Two years on and I think we would all agree that teachers are now as good at teaching online as they are face to face and we have all learned more tech skills in the last two years than we had in the last decade.
But are we really out of the woods? Many have been using remote learning platforms to share concerts and Nativities over the Christmas period and everyone continues to teach remotely for those that need it to ensure a full education for all children. But in the back of all our minds, is the nagging question of will we have to return to remote learning for all children? We have all read in the news about schools preparing to return to remote learning and school closures due to the tidal wave of Omicron cases after the Christmas mixing. So, what can we do to prepare for this?
Practitioners and staff:
As we all know early years settings have been open fully since the initial reopening in June 2020 – with covid measures in place they continue to support the youngest children in our education system – with a focus on early play and interaction skills being paramount.
Remember how far you have come – think of how well you have adapted over the last 2 years and all the new skills you have learned. Whatever happens, whether it is a return to remote learning or additional measures in school you know you have done it before and you can do it again.
To prepare for any eventuality there are a few things you can do to make sure you are prepared:
· Ensure you (or your school) have the most up to date contact details for all pupils.
· Ensure that all pupils – especially students who have joined since the last lockdown – have access to devices and they can log into their remote learning platform.
· Check you have the resources needed to move immediately to remote teaching – do you have your laptop/ books/ practical resources to model lessons? Do you have the phonics resources you need to teach live lessons to the youngest children and keep them engaged? Are you prepared to go back into bubbles in classes rather than streamed sets?
· Refresh your memory of how to use the learning platforms.
· Can you offer online parent workshops to help introduce new skills and support them in helping their children learn at home if they are remote learning or isolating?
· Most importantly remember you are only human – you need a break too. It’s been a very long term and many head teachers report that it’s been harder to navigate than bubbles due to the constant flow of children at home and back in school, the number of staff off ill or awaiting PCR results. So, ensure that you take time over the holiday to relax, recharge and look after your own wellbeing.
· Ensure that any vulnerable children leave for the Xmas break with a device and a Mifi Dongle so that if schools have to move to remote learning everyone is set up and ready to go.
Parents and carers:
Some practical tips could make the coming weeks and months more manageable but first and foremost remember we are all in the same storm but we are in different boats. We are all dealing with different struggles on a day-to-day basis and it’s important that as parents we cut ourselves some slack, accept some days are not going to go as planned and make sure we take care of our own wellbeing – because if we are happy and calm this will keep our children happy and calm.
Ahead of the return to school make sure you have these simple things in place:
· Check your details are up to date with your school or setting.
· If your situation has changed over the last term make sure the school know – you could be entitled to additional support through the Pupil Premium entitlement.
· Ensure that you can access your online learning platform (and if not contact your class/ school for an updated login).
· If you do not have access to a device, make sure your school are aware – schools should be able to provide devises to support home learning.
· Remember that your home was (for most families) never intended to be a school – children need structure and routine but they also need a safe haven – is there a space that you can do school work quietly away from their bedroom to keep this as their home?
· Make sure that you have basic resources – pens/ pencils – schools may prepare exercise books but if not have a few to hand.
· Know what your child is learning – do you have a termly topic over view or a knowledge organiser?
· Most importantly -make sure that over the holiday you all have a rest, a break and some family time – calm and happy parents make calm and happy learners.
Whatever the new year may bring it’s important to remember that we all try our best and some days that will give us the outcomes we want and we will have a great day. But other days it will not go to plan – and that’s ok – that’s the nature of being a teacher and a parent in the middle of a global pandemic. If that happens, take stock, reflect and move forward – tomorrow is another day and we are all here together for the good of the children – to ensure that all children are entitled to an education that is full, that is happy and that however it is delivered gives them a fullness of life that is the building blocks for what is to come.
Tech resources
· Merge Cubes – a device which enables you to hold anything. It’s a hands-on digital learning platform that helps students to learn with 3D objects and simulations: £18.74 from Amazon
· Create sketch notes and make them into virtual giffs
· Google’s AutoDraw enables you to draw and predicts what it is you are drawing!
· Rocket books – a cloud- connected smart notebook.
· Teach & Learn Practical Digital Skills - Applied Digital Skills – a fantastic resource with detailed lesson plans and online lessons.
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