607 pupils are learning at home. Nearly every child is joining video calls each day and completing their work. Our thanks go to every parent who is supporting their child at home.

 

Last week, 94% of pupils joined 4 or more video calls. These sessions are important because:

• pupils keep in touch with a teacher. Children told us they missed this most during the March lockdown.
• teachers talk to pupils about their learning. Teachers know what pupils can already do by checking their completed tasks. These sessions help fix any errors and misunderstanding. Some pupils might be challenged to move on to something more difficult.

 

Parents have mixed views about learning at home. Most appreciate the work of teachers. Some families have found routines that work well for their household with children being increasingly independent and responsible. Other parents juggle their own work and supporting their children at home. Whatever your circumstances, we appreciate everything you are doing.

 

We continue to listen to views of teachers, parents and pupils. Learning at home is new to all of us. Teachers work together, within and across age-groups, to learn from one another and improve. Leaders review, evaluate and set next steps. We continue to adjust and tweak our arrangements to make things better. We might not get it perfect for every family and the way they are working at home.

 

Let us adjust the things that we do, based on biggest need we hear from pupils, parents and teachers. We balance the government's expectations, findings from Ofsted and other education researchers, with views and experience.

 

We do not know when school will re-open to all pupils. Please keep going, carry on doing the best that you can:

• prioritising reading, writing and maths;
• working for 3-4 hours each day, doing as much as you can;
• taking time for a break, to look-after yourself and your well-being;
• knowing that we appreciate and admire everything that you are doing at home.