Remote Education Provision

Information for parents and carers

This information explains Benton Park School’s approach to remote education when students are unable to attend because the school, a year group or a significant number of students cannot access education on site due to exceptional circumstances.

Our priority is always to provide high-quality education in school. Being in school is the best way for students to learn, maintain positive routines, receive support from their teachers and benefit from the wider school experience.

Remote education is not an equal alternative to attending school. It will therefore only be used when attendance at school is not possible because of exceptional circumstances.

Short-term school closure

If the school closes unexpectedly for a short period, students in Years 7 to 11 should:

• complete work set through Educake;
• use their subject knowledge organisers to review and strengthen key knowledge;
• complete outstanding homework or revision activities;
• prepare for upcoming assessments where appropriate; and
• check Arbor, Microsoft Teams and their school email for information and instructions.

Students should prioritise the subjects they would normally have studied on that day.

Sixth Form students should access work and information through Microsoft Teams and their school email.

The precise arrangements will depend on the circumstances of the closure and the notice available to the school.

Extended school closure

If the school is expected to remain closed for a longer period, a more structured programme of remote education will be introduced.

Students will normally be expected to follow their school timetable. Learning may include:

• live or teacher-led lessons through Microsoft Teams;
• work and resources shared through Microsoft Teams;
• tasks completed through Educake;
• activities based on subject knowledge organisers;
• revision and retrieval practice;
• independent tasks; and
• work completed away from a screen.

The balance of activities will vary according to the subject, curriculum content, age of students and circumstances of the closure. Not every lesson will necessarily be delivered live.

Sixth Form students will continue to access their work, resources and communication from teachers through Microsoft Teams.

The remote curriculum

Wherever possible and appropriate, students will continue to study the curriculum they would have followed in school.

Some adaptations may be necessary. These could include:

• changing the order in which topics are taught;
• replacing practical activities with suitable alternative learning;
• adapting resources for independent study;
• providing additional consolidation or retrieval practice; and
• rescheduling or adapting assessments.

Any changes will be made to support continuity of learning while maintaining appropriately high expectations.

Accessing remote education

Benton Park School may use a combination of the following:

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams may be used for live or teacher-led lessons, resources, communication and independent learning. It will be the principal platform used by Sixth Form students.

Educake

Educake may be used to set activities, quizzes, retrieval practice and consolidation tasks in subjects where it is available and appropriate.

Knowledge organisers

Students should use subject knowledge organisers to revisit essential vocabulary, concepts and knowledge. Teachers may direct students to particular sections or activities.

Arbor

Arbor will be used to communicate important information and updates to parents and carers. Parents and carers should ensure that their contact details are up to date and that they can access the Arbor Parent Portal or Arbor App.

School email

Students should check their school email regularly for messages, resources or instructions from school.

Expectations of students

During any period of remote education, students should:

• engage with the learning provided;
• follow their normal timetable where directed;
• join any scheduled Microsoft Teams lessons promptly;
• complete work to the best of their ability;
• follow instructions from their teachers;
• use online platforms safely and responsibly;
• communicate respectfully;
• take appropriate breaks from screens; and
• ask for help if they experience difficulties accessing their learning.

The school’s usual expectations for behaviour, effort, kindness, responsibility and respect continue to apply during remote education.

Supporting students at home

Parents and carers can support their child by:

• encouraging them to follow a clear daily routine;
• helping them identify a suitable place to work where possible;
• ensuring they have access to basic learning equipment;
• encouraging them to check Microsoft Teams, Educake, Arbor and their school email;
• encouraging appropriate breaks from screens; and
• contacting the relevant year group team if there is a significant barrier to accessing learning.

Parents and carers are not expected to replace teachers or provide detailed subject support.

Engagement and feedback

During an extended closure, the school will monitor students’ engagement with remote education. This may include attendance at Microsoft Teams lessons, completion of Educake activities, participation in learning and completion of work.

Where there are concerns about a student’s engagement, the school may contact the student or their parent or carer to identify any barriers and offer appropriate support.

Feedback may take different forms, including:

• verbal feedback during Microsoft Teams lessons;
• whole-class feedback;
• teacher questioning;
• automatically marked Educake activities;
• model answers;
• self-assessment;
• written comments; and
• further explanation or re-teaching.

Teachers will determine the most appropriate form of feedback according to the subject, task and intended learning.

Support for students with SEND

We recognise that some students with special educational needs and disabilities may require additional support to access remote education.

Where appropriate and practicable, support may include:

• clear and manageable instructions;
• adapted or scaffolded resources;
• modelling and worked examples;
• learning broken into smaller steps;
• additional explanation or contact;
• reasonable adjustments; and
• support from the SEND or pastoral teams.

Parents and carers should contact the relevant year group inbox if their child is experiencing significant difficulties accessing remote education.

Access to technology

We recognise that students’ circumstances at home differ. Parents and carers should contact the relevant year group inbox if their child experiences a significant difficulty with:

• access to a suitable device;
• internet connectivity;
• passwords or school accounts; or
• accessing Microsoft Teams, Educake or other school platforms.

The school will consider the individual circumstances and identify what support or alternative arrangements may be available.

Individual student absence

Remote education is not routinely provided when an individual student is absent from school.

Regular attendance is essential to students’ achievement, wellbeing and wider development. Learning remotely should not be viewed as an alternative to attending school, and the best place for students to learn is in school alongside their teachers and peers.

Parents and carers must report absence through the school’s normal attendance procedures. The school will work with students and families to understand and address barriers to attendance in line with its attendance procedures.

Students who are absent for a short period should focus on returning to school as soon as they are well enough to do so. They may use existing resources, including knowledge organisers, Educake, Microsoft Teams materials and revision resources, where these are already available. This does not constitute a separate remote education programme, and teachers are not expected to provide live lessons or individually prepared work for students who are absent.

Any exceptional arrangements will be considered individually and will not replace the school’s focus on supporting the student to attend school.

Online safety and behaviour

Students must use Microsoft Teams and other online platforms safely and responsibly.

Students must:

• use their school account;
• follow staff instructions;
• communicate respectfully;
• protect passwords and personal information;
• use online communication functions for learning;
• avoid recording, photographing or sharing lessons or resources without permission; and
• report any online safety or safeguarding concern to a trusted adult or member of staff.

The school’s safeguarding, behaviour and acceptable-use expectations continue to apply during remote education.

Contacting school

Questions or concerns about remote education should be directed to the relevant year group inbox.

Parents and carers should also use the relevant year group inbox where their child:

• is unable to access remote learning;
• is experiencing a technical difficulty;
• requires pastoral support;
• requires support relating to SEND; or
• has another significant barrier to engaging with the provision.

The relevant year group contact details are available on the school website.

Review of provision

Remote education arrangements will be determined by the circumstances at the time. The school may adapt its provision in response to the nature and length of a closure, staffing capacity, technical considerations and the needs of students.

Information and updates will be communicated to parents and carers through Arbor.