School opened on Monday to welcome pupils of key-workers and vulnerable pupils. All bookings are by Laser so that we can match staff to the number of pupils.

 

The government has asked parents to keep their children at home, wherever possible, and for schools to remain open only for those pupils who absolutely need to attend:

• Guidance for schools about temporarily closing, 22 March 2020

 

The school is operating with a skeleton staff, working weekly shifts, to minimise infection and cut the number of people travelling to work. Pupils attending school are unlikely to be taught by their class teacher. Emphasis is on a childcare approach, like after-school or holiday club, rather than a usual school day. Teachers are not teaching any lessons to pupils.

 

Learning at home

We are following guidance published by the government and Ealing Council about keeping in touch with pupils who are at home. For primary education, sharing some links to on-line resources is appropriate:

• Today, the DfE says it is working with the BBC and other partners to provide access and support directly to parents, including online resources to be accessed at home.
• We are publishing links to carefully chosen material each week on Year Group Noticeboards.
• We have considered use of technology, for example Skype or Webex, to teach pupils.
  • This is not practical because we do not teach in this way. In class, hearing pupils' feedback is a big part of teaching so that we tackle misconceptions and improve understanding.
  • We are worried about pupils having equal access, especially where there is more than one child at home, competing demands for devices and the need for High school age siblings to learn in this way. Our pupils come from a wide range of different backgrounds, including some who are disadvantaged.

We know that our parents and pupils care about learning and education. So do we. We can catch-up on any missed learning over a key-stage and life of a child's primary education.