Remote Learning – COVID-19
Update: March 2021
From Monday March 8th 2021, in line with Government guidance, all children are returning to the classroom at St Matthew’s. We would like to thank and congratulate all the parents who have supported their children during lockdown and accessed the remote learning we have provided. The following leaflet from Kent’s School Liaison Officer will help you prepare for your child’s return.
Getting Ready to going back to school workbook
The following poster has some suggested activities to support children as they return to school.
Suggested home activities to support transition back to school 2
Remote learning at St Matthew’s CE Primary School
Update: January 2021
The school is currently only open for children of critical keyworkers who cannot keep their children at home and vulnerable children. All other pupils can access remote learning provided by each year group.
- The class teachers are working in year groups. Your child will be taught by a teacher and teaching assistant from the year group. Weekly and daily plans will be sent via ClassDojo. Each day the year group teaching team will post on the class story.
- Files will also be posted in Microsoft Teams to allow for easy access for all pupils.
- Suggested timetables of learning will be posted to support parents, but the school recognises that parents may be juggling their own work commitments, looking after pre-school children and have family issues as well as supporting their children in their learning and they will need to make adjustments.
- A daily ‘live’ lesson will be held via Microsoft Teams. Each child is connected to their class team and each year group will hold at least one live lesson each day for all pupils in that year group. If pupils are struggling to connect, parents can email it.dept@st-matthews.kent.sch.uk for support.
- Live lessons are timetabled throughout the day, to help families that have more than one child and a limited number of devices to utilise for remote learning.
- Following Government Guidelines, the school will provide remote learning to ensure that Key Stage 1 children have 3 hours a day on average across the cohort, with less for younger children and Key Stage 2 children will have 4 hours a day.
- The school will send out work that uses the same websites and apps used in school if children can access them at home. Teachers may select lessons from the Government backed website Oak National Academy, BBC bitesize (both online and on TV) and from pre-recorded videos to support children’s learning. Teachers are planning the remote learning and in school lessons to ensure the children have the same offer.
- If the Classteacher responsible for the Microsoft live Lesson is ill or covering for their colleague by teaching in school, the school will utilise another teacher/TA to send work out via ClassDojo and deliver a live lesson as soon as is practical.
- Children should use the message facility of ClassDojo to send in completed work. St Matthew’s are investigating using the functionality of Microsoft Teams for handing in completed work.
- Teachers will liaise with the SENDCo to offer support to those children on the SEN register
- Teachers will collate information on engagement with remote learning. For those children who have been identified as struggling to engage, the pastoral teams and SLT will contact families to offer support.
- The school will loan out IT equipment for families of pupil premium children subject to availability. The school will work with Government schemes to provide internet and mobile network access to eligible families.
- For an explanation on how to link a games console to Microsoft Teams, how to bypass the need to print worksheets and information on the lessons that can be accessed via your TV, please click Accessing Remote Learning
This information is to be used as a general guide for parents. There are 2 general scenarios outlined below; the first scenario where your child is not permitted to attend school and the second outlines the actions in the case of a whole bubble not being permitted to attend school.
| Circumstance | Remote learning |
| My child (and their siblings if they are also attending St Matthew’s CE Primary) is absent because they are awaiting test results and our household is required to self-isolate. The rest of their school bubble are attending school and being taught as normal.
|
Class teachers can be accessed through ClassDojo Just send a message and the teacher will get back to you as soon as they can. Class teachers will not be able to provide individual learning for your child whilst they are class teaching. You can also contact the school by e-mail: office@st-matthews.kent.sch.uk |
| My child’s whole bubble is not permitted to attend school because they, or another member of their bubble, have tested positive for Covid-19.
We enter another ‘lockdown’ with total school closure. |
St Matthew’s is investigating the use of Microsoft Teams as a way of providing live lesson links if a bubble or the school has to close. |
Remote Learning guidance St Matthew’s September 2020
The following resources were gathered at the beginning of lockdown and are still useful to parents:
This letter was sent out by the school at the point schools closed: Home learning Suggestions
A useful set of Maths websites: Maths resources for pupils to access
Reading websites:
Accelerated Reader: The link to our site so children can complete quizzes: https://ukhosted43.renlearn.co.uk/2240940/
Linked to Accelerated Reader a selection of ebooks can be found here https://readon.myon.co.uk/
P.E links sent through by Youth Sport Trust: P.E Links
Music & singing https://www.singup.org/singupathome/