During your time at Glossopdale, there may be occasions when you are required to complete school work from home. This may arise from adverse weather forcing a school closure during the day, or adverse weather overnight resulting in students being advised not to attend school for their safety (see the Adverse Weather Guidence for parents here).  On these one-off occasions, work will be uploaded to Google Classroom for the lessons of the day as soon as is practically possible. Families will be informed that students need to work from home by a text message and email via our Bromcom system.

In these situations, students are expected to:

• Log in to Google Classroom and navigate to the classes for the day

• Locate the information about the work to be completed

• Complete the work

• If time allows, navigate to homework (published fortnightly on the website here) and complete any outstanding tasks

• If additional support or explanation of a topic is needed, we recommend navigating to the appropriate place within the Oak Academy, link here: Oak Academy

Families who are eligible for free school meals are still entitled to these when students are working remotely. This will be communicated with families when communications are sent regarding the need for remote working mentioning that FSM-eligible families can request electronic food vouchers to support them during the closure. To access these, families request electronic food vouchers through the PP Lead, Miss Bowden.

It can be difficult completing school work at home. The advice below is for students if they are finding this challenging:

• With your parents, work out a schedule that suits you and helps you

• If possible, create a space where home learning can happen. Ideally, this will be a flat, clutter-free surface, such as the dining table or a desk, near a computer. Try to stick to the timetable that you would have at school that day, breaking the day into manageable chunks.

• Use our online resources to help with study skills: have a look at the Revision pages of the student section of the website. 

• The remote learning tips below may also help:

Longer Periods of Remote Working and Routines

If there are longer periods of remote learning, school work will be set daily on Google classroom and students will be expected to follow the routines as set out above. The work will be a combination of live, recorded and independent tasks. If internet access is an issue, families need to contact the school by telephone, and the school will then provide work on paper.

It is widely accepted that young people need routine in their lives. A structure to the day improves mental health, provides comfort and feelings of safety and reduces anxiety. Therefore, if we are in a situation where students are expected to work at home for an extended period, a daily routine should be set up. There are many examples to be found online of daily routines for families and young people. As well as time for home learning, a daily schedule could and often should include the following:

• Exercise and Outdoor Time: More and more of us are using online exercise classes and some of us have home gym equipment. Making sure that young people release their energy is crucial so try to factor in two opportunities a day for this. 

• Creative Time: You also need time to be creative. Activities away from screens, that are not focussed on the academic side of learning, can develop skills needed and to be enjoyed in other areas of life. They could include playing games, baking, cooking, arts, music or craft activities.

• Quiet Time: Even if it is for just half an hour a day, an activity away from screens such as reading or drawing, will not only help improve literacy or concentration levels, but will provide a sense of calm, thus supporting good mental health.

As working remotely can have a negative impact on mental health, we advise students and their families to access the resources on wellbeing and mindfulness to support them in a situation of longer term remote working. In addition the resources below may be of use:

• Kooth: Kooth is a free online Mental Health and Wellbeing resource for children and young people in Derbyshire that requires no formal referral, instead only requiring the user to set up an account on the website. Available 365 days of the year via mobile, tablet and desktop devices from 12 noon to 10pm Monday-Friday and 6pm-10pm at weekends, the service provides access to accredited counselling support, peer support via online forums and relevant articles detailing a variety of topics. To sign up, please visit https://www.kooth.com/

• ThinkUKnow:While you are working online, please do it sensibly and safely.Click here for more advice:https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus/

Students with SEND and remote working

If pupils with SEND are asked to complete remote education, our teachers are best placed to know how their needs can most effectively be met.. In these cases, the school will put in place an appropriate curriculum, teaching and support that will enable the pupil to continue learning effectively. This will be the same curriculum as for all other students, where appropriate (see above for how to access this). The support offered will be tailored to the individual as needed.

Some pupils with SEND may not be able to access remote education without adult support. In these cases, the school will work collaboratively with families and put arrangements in place that allow pupils with SEND to access remote education successfully. This may be online support from one of our learning support assistants, daily check-ins or other alternative arrangements.