School leaders have listened to the views of parents along with support and challenge from the Governing Board. Home learning from Monday will include:

• weekly video message from most class teachers which replaces our email message;
• direct email contact with class teachers to keep in touch, ask questions and send us work completed at home;
• for pupils who have special educational needs and an education, health & care plan (EHCP), ask the teacher for more support and advice from your child's teaching assistant, if needed;
• Years 1-6 application tasks in English and maths with different levels of challenge;
• fewer links and clearer expectations on Year Group Noticeboards;
• Years 1-6 'off-line' learning pack for Oak on Year Group Noticeboards at the start of the week;
• a range of extra optional learning for those pupils and families who want or need more.

Parents are best placed to decide how much or how little you use our resources or contact us. If you have found a routine that is working for your household, we do not expect any changes. Alternatively, please blend or adjust our new opportunities into your routine.

 

Children of key workers and those who are vulnerable and attend our childcare while the school is closed will continue to have sessions focusing on learning.

 

For Years 1-6, we will continue to use Oak National Academy lessons and resources as the main way to provide learning at home while the school is closed. Each week, we recommend children complete:

• an English lesson, every day, from Oak National Academy
• a maths lesson, every day, from Oak National Academy
• one foundation subject (not maths or English), each week
• application task for maths and writing each week which can be sent to the class teacher for feedback
• application task for the foundation subject at the end of the unit of learning which can be sent to the class teacher for feedback.

 

For Nursery and Reception, continue to use our Year Group Noticeboards with links to Instagram, YouTube and phonics teaching resources.

 

Weekly video message

Watch a short weekly video message from most class teachers to their class at the start of each week. Most teachers will record a video to our new private channel on YouTube. Some might not as a result of illness or privacy concerns. I respect their right to privacy on the internet. Teachers are volunteering to produce these short videos. It is for parents to manage the expectations of their own children, including watching another class teacher in the year group if needed. Please thank the teachers who do and respect the wishes of those who do not or cannot produce a video.

 

Email class teachers

Contact teachers directly by new email addresses:

• YearClass@fielding.ealing.sch.uk where Year is the year group number and Class is the class letter eg 4S@fielding.ealing.sch.uk (Nursery use ladybirds or dragonflies)

Use the email address to:

• keep in touch, if your child wants to simply say 'hello' to their teacher and get a reply;
• ask a question, if you need a teacher to explain any of this week's learning;
• for pupils with special educational needs and an education, health & care plan (EHCP), ask for more help and support. The class teacher will arrange for your child's teaching assistant to contact you;
• send us a copy of finished application tasks for writing and maths each week and/or the foundation subject at the end of several weeks of learning.

Teachers will reply during usual working hours within 3 working days, hopefully quicker. They will turn 'out-of-office' notification on if they are unwell or are working in school for childcare.

 

Application tasks, Years 1-6

Fielding's teachers will set application tasks for writing and maths each week:

• based on the Oak Academy lessons for the week;
• 4 different levels of challenge and expectation, using our SOLO taxonomy words, based on a simple version of our 'rubrics' used in school;
• complete at the end of the week when you have watched Oak Academy lessons and/or used any other learning content from BBC Bitesize or elsewhere;
• send to your class teacher by email for feedback.

Fielding's teachers will set an application task for the current foundation subject - science, history, geography, art etc. The foundation subject is taken from the curriculum map for our summer term using our knowledge organiser:

• follow the teacher's planned learning and links for the foundation subject from the Year Group Noticeboard each week;
• only one subject will be learned at a time to cut down on links and keep it simple for parents at home;
• at the end of the series of lessons, complete the application task set by our teachers. The application task will allow pupils to apply their learning from several weeks;
• send the completed application task to the class teacher for feedback.

 

Year Group Noticeboards, Years 1-6

A single point of contact for learning at home:

• links to Oak National Academy;
• reminder about how to find worksheets on Oak;
• download 'off-line' learning pack at the beginning of the week. Teachers will collate and publish the Oak resources as soon as they can every Monday;
• link to video messages from most class teachers each week. Watch every Monday to hear teachers talk to children about the planned learning for the week;
• application tasks to be completed at the end of the week for writing and maths;
• any application task to be completed at the end of the sequence of lessons in the foundation subject;
• email addresses to contact teachers in your year group to keep in touch, ask a question or send us work.

 

Leaders have continued to think about video lessons and telephoning all pupils at home.

We are not using live video conferencing because:

• the government has created and funded a national academy and the BBC to do this for all schools;
• every teacher union and professional association have advised against it. Now is not the time to challenge unions;
• we do not teach in this way or have a way to train teachers while the school is closed;
• real and genuine concerns about pupils safety and allegations against professionals using this technology from their homes. Now is not the time to stress test new technology;
• joining a lesson at a set time is not possible for all pupils. This creates inequalities.

We are not creating recorded video lessons because:

• the government has created and funded a national academy and the BBC to do this for all schools;
• we do not teach in this way and do not have a way to train teachers while the school is closed;
• teachers are working from home and do not all have the technology, know-how, or other equipment to do this;
• teachers are balancing their own competing demands and have privacy concerns about being on video on the internet. Now is not the time to add to their worries and burdens.

We are not telephoning all pupils at home every day or every week because:

• children are being looked after by their parents, who are best placed to care for them when the school is closed;
• we do not want to intrude on families who are managing many different competing demands;
• we avoid 1:1 situations to minimise risks to pupils from our adults and prevent allegations being made against professionals;
• we do not expect teachers to use their own resources for professional work. Teachers are working from home. It is not essential to travel to work to phone a pupil at home.

We are keeping in touch with pupils who have special educational needs and/or we think are vulnerable. We will continue to target who we contact based on need.