Remote Learning


Remote Learning - guidance for parents

Google Classroom

The main tools we use for remote learning are Google Classroom and Hangouts Meet. Both will require you to know your child's google logon details. If you do not know your child's username and password, please email our IT support james.bellis@kingsmead.cheshire.sch.uk who can reset the password for you. Please then keep it safe as James is very busy.

Hangouts Meet enables your child to access a video meeting with a teacher. Links will be posted on Google Classroom. Meetings will be scheduled via Google Calendar - please visit https://calendar.google.com and log in with your child's account details to see upcoming meetings they have been invited to. To join the meeting, click on the link in the google calendar event, or visit https://meet.google.com. If your child cannot join the meeting at the time it starts it will be recorded so that they can watch it later.

Teachers have been trained in how to put pre-recorded and live meets on the Google Classroom. Activities to keep children thinking, active and engaged will be posted on the Google classroom.

Access to learning direct from the website

Learning@home pages are on the relevant curriculum subject area of the website and all the content is still here on the website for learners anywhere to access. Families wishing to consider supporting their child with catch-up from COVID may want to make use of the specific materials in English @ Home and Maths @ Home.

Five weekly routines 

For thinking and reflection time in school or at home and maintain our community - one school, together if apart.

Music on Monday - Mrs Harper will post a tune with something for children (maybe adults too) to enjoy and reflect on. This is shared in class and in assemblies during the week.

Thinking on Tuesday - Mrs Rutter-Brown will deliver a whole school assembly linked to the weeks theme.

Words on Wednesday - The Remote English @ Home page will aim to provide poetry and vocabulary to share our love of the wonderful English language.

Thursday Thoughts - Mrs McHugh or Mrs Rutter-Brown will lead Key Stages assemblies to continue and build on the weeks theme.

Friday Fable - Mrs Buzzard will share a story to enjoy in school or at bedtime to share high quality literature and encourage reading for pleasure.

Sites we may use to enhance learning at home

Two companies, originating in Cheshire, The Literacy Company and Literacy Counts have developed for English at home. We have used materials from both in school and accessed their staff training. This makes these materials in line with our approach in school while adapted for use at home. 

Literacy Counts is now an official DfE resource and has developed some Storytime Counts resources free for families and schools.

Mathematics

White Rose Maths version 3 curriculum is followed in school. This is our main recommendation for learning at home. 

Maths at home has a folder of First 4 Maths activities for learning at home.. 

Oak National Academy is a new collection of high-quality lessons and online resources. Backed by the Government, it has been created in response to the coronavirus lockdown.

Online classroom offers free access to great teachers, delivering video lessons, quizzes and worksheets. Lessons are ordered so your child can learn along a clear plan. The Academy will provide new lessons and resources each week.

Our teachers have plans already in place for daily English and Maths and may signpost to Oak Academy lessons. Teachers may suggest if and how this online classroom is used, perhaps alongside any existing work.

Oak National Academy will fit alongside other resources such as BBC Bitesize to offer a structure for the day for children until schools fully reopen.

Learning activities from the British Red Cross to support children's mental health and resilience, reduce tension and learn about their world and it's people. Messages of Kindness, Living together with Kindness, Stories of Resilience, History of Kindness and Reflections - five sessions for families.

Although Cheshire’s beautiful parks, gardens and visitor attractions are now closed, there are some great resources that they have on offer for learning opportunities. With lots of children learning from home, Visit Cheshire have tailored some activities aimed at early years, primary and secondary education with helpful links from their partners across Cheshire.

Children can learn about Cheshire and its history, culture and environment – with a view to engaging with the visitor attractions whilst they are closed and be inspired to visit again when it is safe to do so.

We have brought together an initial list of online educational resources to help children to learn at home.

These websites have been identified by some of the country’s leading educational experts and offer a wide range of support and resources for pupils of all ages.

The list includes subject-specific resources for:

They are currently being offered for free.

Individual resources cannot replace a school’s properly planned curriculum, and the resources in this list are not intended to do so.

They may be useful for parents in considering how they could support their children’s education, but they should not be used in place of existing resources which schools may be using as part of their continued provision for pupils’ education at this time.

Schools may also wish to explore this initial list of resources as they consider how they continue to support children’s education.

We will review and update the list over time. Details on how that will work will be provided in the coming weeks.

This list of resources is not exhaustive and there are many other resources available to schools.

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is an independent charity dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement. 

Online learning for learners, teachers and parents

Khan Academy was set up as a nonprofit with the mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

Learning about humanism for children and adults

The Whitworth Art Gallery have always been great with family learning and being accessible and welcoming to children. Now they are offering online learning and activities to promote wellbeing for children and adults. 

They also offer the Early Years Atelier for the youngest children.