IN FOCUS 2021
Re m o t e P r o v i s i o n i n S e n i o r s d u r i n g a n o t h e r E x c e p t i o n a l Ye a r By Mr Whitworth, Deputy Head (Academic)
There is no doubt that the circumstances of the last 16 months have provided significant challenge to our ability to deliver a quality educational provision. However, from challenge can often come creativity, innovation and new, improved ways of working.
Room and Zooms For periods of 2020-21 there were students from the same class both at School and isolating at home. Efforts were made to involve those at home through a Zoom ‘window’ into the classroom and some dialogue with teachers. This was a huge challenge for all concerned but it did allow those isolating to maintain their connection to the group and to School.
Remote Teaching There is no doubt that our ability to teach via Zoom, and students’ ability to learn, developed well over time. With regular staff sharing of best practice and student feedback, the use of break out rooms, screenshare and other tools became commonplace. There were even occasions when isolating teachers taught from home into the classroom – with this example showing Mr Higginbottom teaching a remote DT lesson. Additionally, I certainly feel we saw the importance and value to students of the pastoral ‘check in’ during Form in what has been a tough period emotionally as well as academically.
Certainly, as we reach the end of the academic year, we have great pride in the ways in which our teachers, support staff and students have worked together to overcome the hurdles of bubbles, self-isolation and more besides. Future decisions will centre round which elements of this year’s innovation we keep going forward.
Parents’ Evenings – Schoolcloud Arguably, one of the most successful innovations of the year has been the use of Schoolcloud for individual, remote appointments. With no queueing, absolute privacy, no travel requirement and the ability to work round the home calendar; remote parents’ evenings seemed to be a well-received necessity of the times. It will certainly be interesting to see if this is a change in practice that we look to retain in full or part in future years.
Options – Head of Department Videos/ Appointments In the absence of a physical A Level Options Evening, this year we created Head of Department video overviews to send to students and families which summarised the key elements of courses and other key information. In addition, some current Sixth Form students created their own videos to share and aid the decision making process. Individual Schoolcloud (online) appointments were then available for those that wished to discuss further with subject specialists. View the full range of subject videos on Firefly at: https://birkenhead.fireflycloud.net/year-11/ transition-to-sixth-form/2-a-level-options-2021-22
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