VIRTUAL
A Survival Guide for Parents
The advent of Radley as a ‘virtual’ school presents special challenges for parents, pupils and staff. Clearly, it will be very different from the real thing, but if it is entered with an open and positive mind, then it offers real opportunities for growth. Already, the country is benefiting from more old-fashioned, family time and it has been heartwarming to see how local communities have come together in mutual support. For Radley boys, we hope that working at home gives them a period where they can truly take responsibility for their learning but the role of parents in supporting and motivating their sons is paramount. We do, of course, recognise that some of you will have more time to devote to this than others and, of course, some boys will take to it readily, but some will probably need rather more encouragement . . . I hope the following ten point plan is helpful.
Ten-point plan for Parents 1. Start of the day The day will begin with a registration at 8:30am, the start of period 1. We hope that the familiar time will help them. Get your son(s) to set an alarm and make time for some fresh air and a proper breakfast. It is important to distinguish school time from home time, so we would like him to be in school ‘summer dress’ ready to start at 8.30 am.
2. Establish a daily/weekly schedule It is important that you know what he is supposed to be doing and when, so please have the timetable and daily activities readily available and check that this is being followed. The shape of the day is on the Virtual Radley website. Please familiarise yourself with what is expected. Weekly ‘what’s on’ calendars will also be sent to you.
3. Be a part of the learning process Although some boys may not wish to have you ‘fussing’ over his work, it would help enormously if that potential barrier could be broken down, so he gets used to discussing work with you. The best way to learn is often to try teaching oneself, so encourage him to talk through a topic he has covered . . . even if you are not an expert!
4. Encourage screen breaks We have established at least a ten minute break between lessons so boys can stretch their legs and take a quick bit of fresh air; as they would between lessons at school. It would be good if they made a regular habit of doing back and neck stretches and had the best chair possible to promote good posture at the screen.
5. Set up a good place to work If at all possible, he needs a place where he is not completely shut away but where can concentrate and interact with the lesson. A bedroom should be avoided where possible.
6. Implement safety controls and privacy restrictions on apps and software Your son may be required to download certain software or apps. Whilst these are likely to be relatively safe to use, like any other app or platform, parents should still implement safety controls as a precaution. It is important that all communication with Radley dons is directed through approved school channels.
7. Monitor your son’s online activity It is important to remind your son that despite being at home, the same level of behaviour and conduct exists as if his was in a school lesson. Remind him to be polite, show good manners and not to post or send any negative comments, just because he is behind a computer.
8. Monitor your son’s wellbeing and mental health Remote learning will likely mean that your son won’t get the same level of social interaction and will not be seeing his friends for some time. Whilst learning from home might seem fun to start with, missing out on the company of friends might take its toll, so encourage them to keep in touch.
9. Quality of sleep As ever, please promote the importance of time away from a screen, both during the day and prior to sleep.
10. Feed Back We want to hear from you. I am sure you will understand if we ask you to avoid direct communication with teachers where possible (and certainly not in lesson time itself!) but please do take the time to fill in the weekly questionnaire we send. And, as now, raise particular concerns with Tutors and Form Masters.
A word from the Director of Digital Strategy Dons may well record live video lessons to enable boys to review things at a later date and to accommodate those in different time zones if necessary. Please be assured that any such videos will be stored securely and encrypted, following the College’s GDPR policy. Research promotes the use of a video link, showing increased engagement from the student; however your son always has the option not to show their video should they wish. We also want to remind boys that no lessons should be recorded by them – Dons have similar rights in the protection of their image including any videos.
What else can you do? Having your son at home for such a long time is a great opportunity for you to introduce him to many ‘life skill’ activities. As you will see from Mr Murphy’s co-curricular guide, we will provide a lot of opportunities and ideas for things to do. But, in no particular order, these could include: cooking, gardening, financial planning, cleaning/ironing, car maintenance, or more cerebral pursuits, such as contract bridge/chess/cryptic crosswords. Above all, please encourage him to engage. Some boys may respond to the challenges and opportunities of distance learning in a very positive and motivated fashion, but others will find this period very hard. We know this might be a very difficult time for you and your family, but please know that we are here to help at any stage. As well as through the questionnaire, be in touch with me directly or with your son’s Tutor as the first port of call; we want to ensure that we work in partnership with you to make the very best of Virtual Radley. Harry Hammond Senior Master