Remote Learning at Roedean A Guide
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Introduction At the start of 2021, we find ourselves in national lockdown again, and Roedean has closed its doors. However, even though the girls are not physically at School, they are enjoying all of the wonderful opportunities Roedean offers, albeit in an adapted way. I am delighted that we have already had a great deal of feedback from girls and parents to say how pleased they are with the provision. In these very uncertain times, it is our primary aim to ensure that every girl has the positive experience possible, and I can assure you that my colleagues are working incredibly hard to realise this aspiration. Although it can be difficult to come to terms with the frequent changes in the Government’s guidance, and the late notification, it is important to remember that what lies at their heart is everyone’s safety and welfare. Therefore, we should do what we can to support each other, and to continue to ensure the best possible education for your daughter. This may not be the last challenge that coronavirus brings us all, but I am confident that we will overcome these difficulties by using our experience, the collective strength and good will of our community, and the dedication of our staff. It is certainly reassuring to remember that we have done this before at Roedean, and we have successfully managed the first lockdown, including the public examination and university 2
entrance process, so that the girls achieved what they deserved. This gives us great confidence that we will negotiate the coming weeks successfully, ensure the best educational and pastoral experience possible for your daughter, and that the girls will continue to thrive. At this time, we must focus on the very positive news about the vaccines available, and we look forward to a time when the School can come together again and return to normality. I hope that this booklet provides you with some background information to show how we will continue your daughter’s education online. I wish you and your daughter well in these unprecedented times – and stay safe. Oliver Blond Headmaster
High-Quality Remote Learning Although the girls cannot be in our classrooms, it is wonderful that they are in their classes again, and learning with their teachers. We know from our experience of the last lockdown that it is remarkable what can be achieved in lessons whether your daughter is in Brighton, in Beijing or Lagos, or anywhere in the world.
ONLINE LESSONS As happened in the last lockdown, the girls are following their normal school timetable, with every one of their lessons delivered ‘live’ with their specialist subject teachers. Using Teams facilitates very successful and interactive lessons, which closely replicate a normal classroom experience; through Teams, the girls can see their classmates, ask questions, work in ‘breakout rooms’, and submit work and have it marked online. This means that every student can participate actively in lessons, access the work set with ease, and they can catch up anything they miss as all lessons are routinely recorded.
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Activity Tutor Period Lesson 1 Break Lesson 2 Break Lesson 3 Break Lesson 4 Lunch Lesson 5 Break Lesson 6 Break Co-Curricular Activities
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Time 8.30 – 8.45 8.45 – 9.30 (10 mins) 9.40 – 10.25 (20 mins) 10.45 – 11.30 (10 mins) 11.40 – 12.25 (45 mins) 13.10 – 13.55 (10 mins) 14.05 – 14.50 (10 mins) 15.00 – 15.45
A FULL ‘LIVE’ TIMETABLE As we move into a more prolonged period of remote learning, we have made some minor amendments to the school day. These will enable your daughter to find a balance between live lessons with teachers (and therefore screen time) via Teams and a chance to have a break or reflect on lessons in between. Lessons will therefore consist of 45 minutes of remote live teaching time via Teams, followed by a break between each lesson which will allow your daughter to review and consolidate her notes from the lesson, and to take some screen downtime and stretch her legs. At the end of the day, there will be a 45-minute Co-Curricular session. The school day finishes at 15.45. In order to reduce the amount of time the girls and staff are spending each day in front of their screens, the lessons are slightly shorter and we have built in breaks in between each, so that the girls can stretch their legs, move around a little, and make a concerted effort to focus their eyes on something more distant than their screen. The shorter day overall also allows the girls to spend some time outside at the end of the day while it is still light, perhaps exercising, or just going outside in the fresh air.
RESOURCES FOR LEARNING In addition to the usual expectations of being prompt and prepared for lessons, we feel it is more important than ever that your daughter experiences lessons which resemble as closely as possible the classroom experience. To help your daughter participate and engage more fully, we would like her to use both the camera and microphone function in Teams. This will enable her to see her teacher and her classmates, and make it easier to participate and contribute. In order for this to be possible, your daughter will need access to a device with the capability which includes: • • • • • •
a keyboard a microphone and speakers (integrated to the device or external) a webcam (integrated to the device or external) access to reliable WiFi access to Microsoft Office Teams access to, or ability to convert work into, Microsoft Office file formats
If any of these things are not possible, please do contact your daughter’s Head of Year for support.
MAKING LEARNING AS ACTIVE AS POSSIBLE Here are a few tips to help your lessons and learning run smootly: 1. Cameras should be on at the teachers’ request, with the background blurred 2. Pupils should always engage in the lesson, and the use of the typed chat or ‘raise hand’ function, as well as the microphone, are encouraged 3. Pupils should be on time for all lessons with all appropriate materials 4. Uniform is not needed, but pupils should be appropriately dressed 5. Assignments should be submitted on time via Teams 6. Handwritten work should be submitted using a scanner function, not a photo
A VARIED AND ENGAGING ACADEMIC PROGRAMME:
100% OF LESSONS
TAUGHT
‘LIVE’ WITH SUBJECT
SPECIALISTS
HEAD, HANDS, HEARTS PROGRAMME OF ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT FOR YEARS 7-9
UNIVERSITY
I N T E RV I E W
L I F E LIVE
I L L S HIGHER PRACTICE SFORKSIXTH FORM E D U C AT I O N
EPQ
PREPARATION FOR
INTERACTIVE SCHOLARS’ P RO G R A M M E
SIXTH FORM
INDEPENDENT CAREERS REGULAR ASSESSMENT GUIDANCE FOR YEARS 9-10
POINTS FOR YEARS 11-13
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MANAGING YOUR PREP Initially, if your daughter is in Years 7-10, to allow her to adjust to the demands and new routines of remote learning, she will not be expected to complete prep beyond consolidation and preparation for lessons. If your daughter is in Years 11-13, her prep will be to review and revise her work in preparation for her upcoming assessments. We will keep this under review as the term progresses.
SEEKING ACADEMIC SUPPORT GETTING HELP AND SUPPORT FOR REMOTE LEARNING Should your daughter experience any issues in accessing her lessons via Teams, her Head of Year should be her first port of call for support. In addition, the IT team are available on 01273 667699 and via email on helpdesk@roedean. co.uk. Mrs Sharp, Assistant Head: Academic, is available to answer questions you or your daughter might have about online learning (jsh@roedean.co.uk). We are producing half-termly curriculum overviews for each subject, and these will be shared with you during this period, so that you will be aware of the material that your daughter is covering in her lessons.
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We understand that some students may find remote learning difficult, and your daughter can raise any concerns with her Tutor, Head of Year, and teachers. We will also be closely monitoring your daughter’s academic progress, in order to provide targeted support if and when it is needed; in addition, we are providing a timetable of routine drop-in academic support sessions to help clear up any queries that have arisen during lessons in the week.
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A Level and GCSE Examinations Accurate on 14 January 2021 The Department for Education has announced that GCSE and A Level examinations will not go ahead. This announcement did not include International GCSEs which are taught at Roedean. The exam boards which administer these have indicated that they are currently planning to go ahead, but that they are working with the Department for Education and keeping these under review. For GCSEs and A Levels, the qualifications regulator, Ofqual, will now consult with unions, schools, parents, and students on the type of evidence teachers will be able to use to make their judgements. We will keep you updated on any developments. Although this is a difficult period for those girls in examination years, we are confident that they will continue to work hard and remain focused on realising their academic potential; and Roedean is committed to providing the necessary academic challenge and rigour to prepare our students fully for the next stage in their education.
A LEVEL AND GCSE ASSESSMENT POINTS All A Level and GCSE examinations have been cancelled, and grades will be based on teacher assessment. Unfortunately, no further concrete information is available at the time of writing. To enable us to gather as much relevant information as possible, we have introduced 3 assessment points between now and summer term.
Assessment Point 1 2 3
Weeks Commencing 25 January & 1 February 1 March & 8 March 26 April & 3 May
IGCSE EXAMINATIONS (CAMBRIDGE CIE AND EDEXCEL) - UNDER REVIEW IGCSE examinations with the CIE and Edexcel boards, which include Mathematics, Sciences, English, and MFL, are currently planned to go ahead, but are under review. To help pupils prepare for these, we have introduced opportunities for assessment in the weeks commencing 25 January and 1 February, 1 March and 8 March, and 26 April and 3 May.
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Assessments HOW THE ASSESSMENTS WILL WORK During the period of school closure, all assessment will take place remotely. To ensure that we have valid data from these assessments available to us, we will be asking your daughter to sign a declaration with every assessment, and we would like to ask you for your support in ensuring that your daughter takes the assessment alone and without help within the allotted time. Additionally, for the majority of examinations, we will be using an assessment platform called exam.net. Your daughter will receive guidance on how to access this prior to the assessment. Assessments will continue to test the content and skills required by the examination board in each of your daughter’s subjects, to ensure that there is a range of data and assessment types to draw upon in reaching the final assessed grade.
WHAT WILL THEY BE LIKE? In recognition of the intensity of working on screen, but also considering the need for assessments to be rigorous and cover substantial elements of the course, all assessments will be a maximum of 90 minutes in length. Heads of Department have worked hard to split up content, so that successive assessment points address different areas of the curriculum. They will share with your daughter the revised topic content of each assessment to ensure that she can focus her ongoing revision and preparation. In order to ensure that there is a balance each day between contact with teachers and tutors and assessments, we will be spreading the assessments more widely than when these are taken in School.
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Excellent Pastoral Support W E E K LY DAILY CHAPEL TUTOR S E RV I C E S
MONDAY
YEAR-GROUP ASSEMBLIES Y E A R - G RO U P
SOCIALS ON FRIDAY
MEETINGS
OR SMALL GROUP
WELLBEING
MEETINGS
TO MAINTAIN
HOUSE
SPIRIT
In order to build on the extraordinary strength of the Roedean community, weekly Year-Group Assemblies continue, there are weekly House Meetings on Wednesdays, and Chapel services take place on Friday, followed by Year-Group ‘Socials’. In addition, Roedean’s engaging Co-Curricular Programme brings girls from all age groups together four days a week, allowing new friendships to flourish. These different mechanisms which bring together the girls
ONLINE COUNSELLING
CALL BETWEEN
PROVISION
EVERY GIRL
AND
HOUSE STAFF &
Pastoral support is a fundamental element of a Roedean education. For many of the girls, the lack of face-to-face interaction with others during this period will be a considerable struggle – not being able to do what they would normally do, such as catching-up with the friends in person, can be very hard. We have therefore tried to put in place a number of opportunities during the week when the girls can see and talk to each other. It is important to understand that it is normal to feel a little nervous, given the current uncertainty, but we are confident that contact with others, in lots of different ways, will help to reduce anxiety and improve the girls’ wellbeing.
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1- t o -1 FULL
ONCE A WEEK
FOR STAFF
PUPILS
FOCUS ON WELLBEING & TIME AWAY FROM SCREENS within their year-groups, in the Houses, and as a school body, collectively reinforce the school spirit at Roedean.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Year-Group Assembly Tutor Period House Meeting Tutor Period Tutor Period
As well as seeing each other, the girls will also have regular contact with a member of staff, to check in with them and see how they are. In addition to the usual points of contact for the girls, such as their Heads of Year, Tutors, and the Pastoral Managers, during this period of lockdown, every pupil will have a weekly one-toone call with a member of staff to check on her wellbeing and answer any questions she may have.
TUTOR – GROUP CATCH-UP
YEAR-GROUP ASSEMBLY
Three days each week, the girls will start their day with their Tutor and the others in their tutor-group. This gives them the chance to chat to each other, as well as the Tutor having an opportunity to check in with everyone and set up the day. On the other two days each week, there is a Year-Group Assembly and a House Meeting.
The week starts with a Year-Group Assembly, led by the Head of Year. This is a good way to share messages and reminders for the week, as well as to share stories of what girls in the year have been doing and their successes and achievements.
CHAPEL Each Friday afternoon, the week is rounded off with a Chapel service, which brings the whole school community together. The services are led by a member of staff, and include contributions from the girls, and a musical performance. Even if we cannot actually be together, ending the week collectively supports our sense of being one large Roedean family.
HOUSE SPIRIT Each House has day girls and boarders, some who are local and others who live in a variety of countries abroad. In order to ensure that everyone feels very strongly that they are a key part of the Roedean community, we are holding weekly House Meetings. These will be overseen by the Housemistresses and House Staff, but the House Captains will also play an important role in this, and they will endeavour to maintain the normal strong sense of House spirit which is so important at Roedean.
Supporting Your Daughter Everyone is getting used to this period of lockdown again, and this may take some time – we hope that some of the following tips might be helpful: •
make sure she has an appropriate place to work – if possible, it should be quiet, and a dedicated space for school
•
ensure that she has the right materials and tools to do complete her work – she will need access to a device through which she can listen, communicate, and be seen, and she will also need her usual stationery
•
encourage a solid routine, including good sleep, fresh air, regular meals, and exercise
•
being able to keep up with friends will be important at this time of remote learning, so access to her phone during relaxation time will help her to feel that she is not isolated
•
try to allow some flexibility if this is needed – it is normal to feel unsettled during these extraordinary times, so be mindful of this
•
encourage your daughter to contact her teachers or other staff at School if she would like support, advice, or clarification
•
it is also okay for you to seek reassurance too – if you have any questions, please feel welcome to contact your daughter’s Tutor, Head of Year, or Housemistress 11
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WHERE TO GET HELP:
PASTORAL SUPPORT AND WELLBEING during off-site learning PASTORAL SUPPORT
COUNSELLING PROVISION
Your Head of Year will be your main contact for any matters to do with pastoral care, safeguarding and wellbeing during the period of off-site learning. Please contact them directly using their school email address.
Please contact Mrs Watts, Mrs Richardson or Mrs Pacelli on pastoralmanagers@roedean.co.uk if you would like to be put in touch with one of our school counsellors during the period of offsite learning.
Click their face to open an email
SAFEGUARDING If you have a serious concern or safeguarding matter that you do not wish to discuss with your Head of Year, please contact Ms Keller on tke@ roedean.co.uk, Mrs Dee Robins on dro@roedean.co.uk or Mr Chamberlain on rch@roedean.co.uk and they will provide guidance and support.
Miss Allen
Mrs Robins
Dr Hannan
(Head of Middle School)
(Head of Senior School)
(Director of Sixth Form)
CONTACTING THE SCHOOL BY PHONE If you do not have access to wifi or email and you require support, you can always call the main reception in school on 01273 667500 and they will signpost you to the correct member of staff during off-site learning.
OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES AVAILABLE Mrs Chandler (Head of Year 7)
Miss Beadle
Miss Carragher
(Head of Year 10)
(Head of Year 12)
Where to go for is an excellent directory of support for young people and provides a full range of services in Brighton and Hove e.g. Allsorts, RUOK? etc Childline is offering specific support to young people in light of the Coronavirus outbreak, but can support young people who are worried about a whole range of issues, including family break-ups. Mind are an excellent organization offering support for young people who wish to seek support regarding mental health.
Miss Orrells
Ms Shrubsole
Ms Shevah
(Head of Year 8)
(Head of Year 11)
(Head of Year 13)
Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service which offers online counselling and support for all young people. Winston’s Wish provides support for young people experiencing bereavement. Front Door for Families is the single point of contact for all safeguarding or child protection concerns in Brighton and Hove.
Miss Best
Miss Le Bihan
(Head of Year 9)
(Director of Boarding)
The NHS have set up a specific online resource to support people who are unwell and may have symptoms associated with Coronavirus. The Samaritans offer crisis support and can be contacted via their website. RISE support victims of domestic violent and abuse and help can be found here.
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Co-Curricular Activities While we are all remote, the ability to balance our academic work with other activities is more important than ever, so that the girls’ daily experiences are varied, engaging, sometimes challenging, and exciting. We are therefore very proud to maintain our commitment to the School’s genuinely holistic ethos, with an adapted and diverse co-curricular programme running at this time, including Art and sporting challenges, and scientific research and dramatic performances. All students are expected to take part in at least two co-curricular activities each week, although many will do more – we are, however, aware that some students will prefer to use this time on some days to complete Prep or consolidation work.
CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMME For this period of lockdown, we have adapted the Co-Curricular Programme which was already in place for this term, but being entirely online/ remote has afforded us the added flexibility of having more creative and collaborative activities in mixed year groupings.
The programme runs on Monday to Thursday each week at 3:00pm. There are over sixty activities available, including creative, performance, cerebral, and sporting pursuits, so there is definitely something for everyone. The following are just a few examples: • • • • • • • • •
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Cyber Security Competition Life-Drawing Advanced Cricket Vocal Open Mic Astrophysics Olympiad Top University Programme Cook-Along Tycoon Enterprise Trickshot Tuesday
60+ 60 + ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE
EVERY
WEEK
WHOLE SCHOOL
SELF-DIRECTED
EXERCISE CHALLENGE
ENRICHMENT
WEEKLY
VIRTUAL
FUN
SPORTING CHALLENGES
ON-GOING
O U T R E AC H
ACCESS TO
WORK TOURS
D of E
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY FESTIVAL WITH 15 REMOTE SPEAKERS
OF ART
GALLERIES & HISTORICAL
SITES
I N T E R N AT I O N A L PRIVATE LESSONS IN MONTH IN FEBRUARY
MUSIC & LAMDA
EVENTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES In addition to this daily and self-directed enrichment, virtual events, such as our festival to mark International Women’s Day in March, outreach and charity activities, and the majority of private lessons, are continuing as normal.
SELF-DIRECTED ENRICHMENT The ‘Self-Directed Enrichment Programme’ folder, which can be found on Sharepoint, is a bank of activities which can be undertaken by the girls completely independently and at a time which is convenient to them. Included are departmental challenges, links to virtual tours of art galleries or historical sites, information about essay competitions, and much more. Our intention is that there are things there to capture the interest of every girl, but this resource is constantly developing and any suggestions of additional content are always welcome!
We will also be running International Month in February, Academic Week with the theme of ‘Being Human’, Chinese New Year celebrations, and more – we hope that these will all enrich the girls’ experiences and provide the perfect complement to their academic work.
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Roedean School, Roedean Way, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 5RQ Registered Charity 307063 Reception: +44(0)1273 667500 | Helpdesk: +44(0)1273 667699
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