VIRTUAL LEARNING
ST DUNSTAN’S COLLEGE
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VIRTUAL LEARNING I S T D U N S TA N ’ S CO L L EG E
HEADMASTER’S WELCOME I
t seems extraordinary to think that it was back in March 2020 that we took the unprecedented decision to shut the College and to train all staff and pupils in the technology required to support a comprehensive remote learning programme, in anticipation of what we expected to be an imminent nationwide lockdown. And with hindsight, I am so pleased we did! That decision enabled us to remain ahead of the curve in our implementation of a truly excellent virtual and hybrid education. From the outset it was my view that we had an absolute duty to parents and pupils to maximise the technology available to us and to creatively consider any and all ways by which we could replicate our ambitious and forward-thinking education into a remote setting. Over the many months since its introduction, we have made a number of amendments, largely in response to
feedback from parents and pupils; our Pupil Parliament, in particular, has been a driving force in shaping the remote offer we now provide. Although it is impossible to replicate the benefits of on-site learning and interaction, it is heartening to see all elements of our broad and liberal education continuing in one form or another, in the face of such challenging circumstances. I am also most grateful to our families who have provided such a groundswell of support and positive endorsement for all we have sought to achieve; I know this has been strengthening for the staff who continue to give so much in the face of such difficulty.
Mr Nicholas Hewlett Headmaster
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VIRTUAL LEARNING I S T D U N S TA N ’ S CO L L EG E
REMOTE ACADEMIC TEACHING & LEARNING S
t Dunstan’s College has utilised virtual learning environments for a number of years, and was well prepared for the move to online teaching and learning in April 2020; within one day of the first national lockdown, students were logging onto their lessons taught by their usual teachers, and pressing ahead with their learning as usual. Our remote teaching and learning platforms allow students to follow their timetables in full, which are uploaded and waiting for them in Microsoft Teams each half-term, with live lessons delivered by students’ teachers in real-time, with interactivity abounding through both verbal and digital communication between students and the teacher. A plethora of online software is used by teachers to differentiate learning, from online mini whiteboards to breakout rooms, from collaborative shared-worksheets to interactive debates and discussions. Our ‘Firefly’ online learning environment allows teachers to set, mark, and feedback on learning to students regularly. All lessons are recorded so that students can go back through any content for consolidation or revision purposes, or if students were unable to attend a lesson they can catch it up at another time. Teachers are mindful of the need in lessons to balance screenbased interactivity with individual student work looking away from screens, with their teacher checking in on their progress throughout the lesson, always available for any questions or concerns as they pop up. All students who were in need of a laptop or software in order to access this learning were provided with school equipment, and all students have direct access to our fully-staffed ICT Department and Support Desk wherever there are technical difficulties.
Registers are taken each lesson, with absent students contacted by a member of their pastoral team to check how they are and whether any support is needed. Our reporting of student progress and learning engagement continues to parents and carers throughout our remote teaching and learning period. Hybrid Teaching and Learning – the SDC Blended Approach St Dunstan’s has also pioneered the inclusion of students in lessons who, when the College is open and teaching is occurring on-site, are forced to self-isolate due to Covid-19 contact tracing. Any student well enough to learn but unable to attend
school during non-lockdown phases log onto their Microsoft Teams account to find their normal timetable already uploaded for them to follow, and simply log into each lesson as it begins. They are then beamed into the normal classroom lesson, able to see, hear, and interact with their teacher and peers in their lesson as normal. Our teachers each have a visualiser to assist their delivery of learning in these contexts, with all classrooms having microphones and cameras to ensure students at home can feel as part of the lesson as possible, submitting activities for feedback alongside those on-site. Jonathan Holmes, Deputy Head Academic
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VIRTUAL LEARNING I S T D U N S TA N ’ S CO L L EG E
REMOTE PASTORAL PASTORAL CARE A
t St Dunstan’s College we are proud of the excellent pastoral care that we offer to students. We continue to offer the same high standards of pastoral care during remote learning and the systems and procedures in place at school are replicated remotely. Students have a live, interactive tutorial on Microsoft Teams on a daily basis. This is an opportunity for students to interact with their peers and form tutor. Tutorials typically feature group discussion and interactivity and are also the vehicle for the delivery of our PSHEE curriculum. These sessions offer a safe and welcoming environment, where students can discuss any concerns or questions they have. Weekly assemblies continue to take place and are used alongside tutorials to reflect on the theme of the week. Form tutors and Heads of Year monitor attendance and engagement with remote learning across the curriculum and will contact families should any concerns arise. The form tutor remains the first point of contact for students and parents during remote learning periods and can be contacted initally via e-mail, with follow up meetings available on Microsoft Teams if desired. College Parliament offers our students the opportunity to have their voices heard and contribute to the future direction of the College, with the support and guidance of our Sixth Form prefect team. College Parliament meetings continue to take place on a weekly basis with student wellbeing featuring as a standing item on the agenda. Form Representatives are able to give feedback on remote learning and suggest ideas to promote positive wellbeing amongst the student body. The Virtual School Support page on Firefly, our virtual learning
environment, is our hub for remote wellbeing and mental health provision. It has a wealth of activities and tips for promoting positive wellbeing; from mindfulness to exercise classes, tips from prefects and staff, links to streamed theatre productions, photography competitions, recipe ideas and much more! The page also has resources to support students’ mental health, including the contact details for the pastoral team, Chaplain and school counsellor, along with information on external organisations that can be contacted in time of need. The Chaplain and school counsellor continue to be available remotely and students can request a phone or video appointment if they wish. Students can also access support for themselves or through a peer through using the ‘help button’ on the Firefly dashboard, which alerts our Designated Safeguarding Lead to any students experiencing particular challenges. Although we cannot be physically in the building together, staff are always available to listen and support.
Hybrid Pastoral Care – supporting students who are self-isolating When the College is open and teaching is occurring on-site, there may be periods when certain students need to isolate as a result of contact with a positive case or through testing positive themselves. In these instances, the remote pastoral provision as detailed above remains in place to support students. When students are well enough to attend remote school, they attend the daily tutorial as normal, logging in through Microsoft Teams so that they are able to interact with their peers and form tutor and engage in the various tutorial activities. Form tutors check in with students who are learning remotely to see how they are getting on and to address any
questions or concerns they have. Where a student is finding a period of self-isolation particularly challenging, the form tutor and Head of Year are available for individual meetings to offer support and guidance and students can access counselling services remotely if desired. Where a student has tested positive and is too unwell to attend school remotely, the pastoral team will remain in contact with the family to support the student and help them to prepare to return to school when they are well enough. Jade McLellan, Deputy Head Pastoral
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VIRTUAL LEARNING I S T D U N S TA N ’ S CO L L EG E
REMOTE CO-CURRICULAR VIRTUAL FORDER PROGRAMME A
t St Dunstan’s, the Forder Programme is an integral part of each child’s educational journey. Delivering a broad and ambitious, Virtual Forder Programme, remains a priority for staff and students whilst we work remotely. We continue to encourage students to commit to a broad range of clubs, during our daily lesson dedicated to cocurricular activity. The challenge for staff and students has been finding creative and innovative ways of making it all work remotely. Our early experiences have been that not only is it possible to offer a broad and balanced programme, but that many of our more popular clubs have flourished. Activities including but not limited to; Adventure Training, Dance, Lego League, Coding, Computer Programming, Debating, Philosophy, Go Club and Meditation have all tended to be over-subscribed due to limitations on space. Working through Teams has meant this barrier no longer applies. Even more of our students have been able to build their ideal programme, pursuing activities they love whilst exploring new interests and experiences. In addition to our regular offering, we have also introduced a series of Forder Projects, utilising our major co-curricular departments to inspire students to be active away from their screens. The Drama department have forged ahead with our senior production; ‘The Winter’s Tale’. The cast will start the rehearsal process remotely, whilst receiving additional education and support with some of the more challenging themes presented in the play. The Attenborough Project has also been launched, with students filming and producing their own ‘docu-series’, inspired by the natural world that surrounds them.
In Sport, The Strava Project has been a big success, with huge numbers of students, parents and even staff sharing their walks, bike rides and runs. It has evolved into a hard-fought house competition, with updates shared via our social media channels each week. Strength and conditioning coach Mr Galbraith has led students through his ‘Beat the Desk’ series; short workouts designed to combat long periods seated at a desk. Our Head of Adventurous Activity, Mr Telford has also been helping our students stay active with his ‘R2C – Ready to Climb Project’. Clearly a healthy lifestyle is about more than just exercise. We will be working with our catering team Holroyd Howe, to deliver a series of practical nutritional seminars and supporting activities, helping us all maintain healthy habits at home. For our vocalists and instrumentalists, the Music department have launched the Teatime Recital Series. Individual year groups are challenged to plan, practice and then perform individual pieces, before working with staff to put them together as a series of virtual concerts. For those that prefer, we are also offering students the opportunity to submit compositions on whatever software they have available at home. Submissions will be judged by industry professionals, and winners will be invited to showcase their skills as a part of the St Dunstan’s Festival this summer. Creative expression doesn’t stop there! The Art Department have used their Photography Treasure Hunt to encourage students to find inspiration in the world around them. They follow a specific theme each week inspired by the work of artists, and then have their work shared on our social media feeds.
Finally, our commitment to supporting community partners continues to be a priority, and our students are corresponding with NHS workers, trying to raise money whilst they do so. Daniel Gower, Head of Co-Curricular Activities
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VIRTUAL LEARNING I S T D U N S TA N ’ S CO L L EG E
REMOTE CO-CURRICULAR VIRTUAL FORDER PROGRAMME T
he Forder Projects have enabled students to continue to experience and enjoy in a variety of events and activities throughout lockdown.
The
Forder Programme
Virtual Forder
MUSIC
Teatime Recital Series
The
Forder Programme
Virtual Forder PHOTOGRAPHY ‘The artist sees what others only catch a glimpse of’ – Leonardo da Vinci
Photography Club Treasure Hunt This term, the Art Department is running a photography club with a focus on seeing the treasures around us. Our eyes and our cameras allow us to appreciate beauty in the unexpected and overlooked. Each week, a new prompt will be announced. Some will involve searching for, others will involve creating! These will be very open-ended themes to allow for personal interpretation and creativity.
Submissions should be uploaded to the photography club on Teams, and we will feature as many as possible on the Art Department’s Instagram - @stdunstansart
#VirtualSDC
#VirtualSDC
The Music Department will be launching a weekly concert series, presenting examples of excellent remote music-making from our talented students. Performers should submit a video recording of them playing one of their current pieces, or a recording of one of their original compositions. Entries should be received no later than the Friday prior to the week of the respective concert. The concert series is:
Virtual Strava Club
W/C 25 January - Year 7 Recital
Park Run Competition
W/C 1 February - Year 8 Recital W/C 8 February - Scholars and Exhibitioners
Pupils have the chance to enter their original music compositions into a competition adjudicated by a professional composer, with several prizes on offer. Entries should be sent to Mr Oldfield by Friday 12 February and last for at least 1 minute, in any style. The compositions can either be recorded live or through software such as MuseScore, Garageband or Logic Pro X. The winning composition will be performed as part of the St Dunstan’s Festival in July
How to get involved with the competition: • Send details of your walks/runs to Mr Corbin O’Grady via email (lcorbinogrady@stdunstans.org.uk) or message the chat in the Strava Running Club on Teams (If you would like to be added, email Mr Corbin O’Grady) • If you send a picture of you on your walks/runs, your score will be worth double! • Commendations will be given for good walking/running efforts • If you walk/run with your family members (including pets), their score also counts • Junior School walk/runs count as double scores • Junior School cycles also count towards the total
Composition Competition
#VirtualSDC
#VirtualSDC
Virtual Forder VOLUNTEERING Forder
The
Forder Programme
The
Programme
Ready to Climb R2C Project
Lent Term 2021
Members of the CCF will know that Monday Parade will continue whether we are in school or working remotely. The show must go on! Other opportunities to look out for include:
NHS Fundraising Thank-a-thon
Lent Term 2021
Our remote Adventurous Activity offering for this term will all be on climbing. Over the next 12 months, we will be updating all of our climbing facilities so that our students can climb during Forder time! Look out for climbing expeditions as well. Via our social media channels and YouTube, we will be sharing: • • • • •
Virtual CCF Programme
All year groups welcome to join in with two key volunteering projects this term:
Mr Telford’s climbing video series Regular updates on the facilities Training tips to prepare your body to climb Climbing skills informational videos Recommended resources
• • • • •
Rifle Drill Training & Competition (CCF Cadets only) Completion of APC and NPC syllabus (CCF Cadets only) Ration Pack Cooking Challenges Online sessions with some of our cadets Life in the Service Lecture Series
We will share further information via the bulletin and our social media feeds. For any other information, please contact Commander Davies directly.
#VirtualSDC
#VirtualSDC
Students who sign up can claim an available postcode (E.g. BR1). They will then look up every hospital, GP surgery, dentist, and pharmacy in that postcode on the NHS online directory and write a thank you letter to all of them using a pre-approved letter template. They can claim further postcodes once they complete their first. They ask family, friends, anyone they like to sponsor them per postcode. All sponsorship monies raised will be donated to NHS Charities Together. Students should email Richard Grocock (rgrocock@stdunstans.org. uk) for further details and for access to the sign-up spreadsheet.
Tools for Schools Students come up with ideas for, and make, anything that could be useful for their peers, both within our own school community and for other schools. This could be for subject learning, wellbeing, study skills etc. They can make how-to videos, card games, read books, anything they like about anything they are interested in, aimed at any year group they like. Everything goes onto an internal school channel where other students can access it. Students who are happy for their tools to be shared with other schools will be made available to other institutions as well. Students should email Mr Grocock with their proposed ideas in the first instance. Students can undertake either project in their own time. Outstanding and innovative contributions to either project will be rewarded with commendations. There will be a weekly drop-in with Mr Grocock available on Thursdays during Forder for answering questions.
#VirtualSDC
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VIRTUAL LEARNING I S T D U N S TA N ’ S CO L L EG E
ONLINE CORONAVIRUS SUPPORT HUB D
uring the first national lockdown in April 2020, we launched our online ‘Coronavirus Support Hub’ for the St Dunstan’s and wider community. The online area on our website became a hub of updates, resources and daily tips from staff and students. The hub was well received, and quickly became one of the most visited areas on the website. The online area remains in place on our website and is updated regularly. www.stdunstans.org.uk/coronavirus Visit the support hub for: •
Headmaster’s weekly video update
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The latest updates from the College Leadership Team
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Academic Tips
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Mental Health Support
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Daily lockdown tips from students and staff
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Mindfulness and colouring tips
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Cooking videos with Chef Tony
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Virtual Tour of the College grounds
Stay in touch with virtual learning updates using:
#VirtualSDC
Instagram: @stdunstanscollege Twitter: @stdunstanscollege / @stdunshead Facebook: @stdunstanscoll LinkedIn: @stdunstanscoll YouTube: @stdunstanscoll
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VIRTUAL LEARNING I S T D U N S TA N ’ S CO L L EG E
REMOTE LEARNING HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL T
he switch to remote learning can seem daunting but there are many things students can do to make the process easier, from keeping workspaces organised to time away from screens. Below are Ms Latham, St Dunstan’s Director of Studies’ top tips to make remote learning a little bit easier.
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At the start of the day: •
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Set up your workspace, give yourself space to write and remove clutter and any unnecessary distractions such as books, additional technology not needed for remote learning such as mobile phones or tablets. Check your timetable! Make sure you have everything you need for each lesson, for example if you have Maths make sure your calculator is nearby, or for Art plain paper and pencils. Stick to your normal routine. It is harder than it sounds but try to wake up at your usual time, get dressed and have breakfast before your first lesson as you would if you were going in to school. It can be challenging to do but following your normal routine will put you in a positive mindset for lessons. During the school day:
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Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for more time to complete a task, the chances are if you are not finished neither is the rest of the class! Remember your teachers can’t see you so don’t know if you are struggling or have finished early. Give yourself a break, remember you have 5 minutes between each lesson, take that time to stand up and
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look away from the screen for a bit. Pack away your work at the end of each lesson, this will help you keep your work organised and your workspace clear. File any resources sensibly. I recommend creating a file on your computer or device for each subject and then each lesson, that way you can save any resources and look back at them easily if needed. Use your lunch and breaktime wisely. Consider giving yourself a break from technology, talk to a parent or sibling, go for a short walk or read a book. Looking a screen for an entire day can be tiring.
At the end of the day: • •
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Clear your workspace and set it up for the next day. Check any homework you have been set and set aside a time to complete the work. Stick to your homework timetables though, if it is taking too long don’t feel the need to finish every question. Just let your teacher know you have done as much as you can – they will understand. Relax! Remote learning is tricky so make sure you give yourself some downtime at the end of the day.
VIRTUAL LEARNING I S T D U N S TA N ’ S CO L L EG E
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WHAT OUR PARENTS SAY... ‘Children know where to find learning materials and the fact that the structure of the learning day aligns to the normal school day provides consistency’ ‘I like that they follow the timetable and this keeps children engaged while at home. It’s nice for them to have form time with breakout rooms which my child enjoys because she can chat directly to her classmates’ ‘Lessons have been carefully planned and adapted well for online learning’ ‘Having the full timetable in the diary ready was brilliant. Having the Forder activities at lunch time helps with such a long period off. Giving the students PE and games activities to complete also benefits them’ ‘Interaction between the teachers and my child has been excellent, reducing anxiety of being unsure of what they are doing’ ‘It’s been fantastic to see the Virtual Forder Programme provide my daughter with opportunities away from the screen.’ ‘I think what’s being offered with all lessons on Teams is excellent and the teachers are doing brilliantly. I really would like to congratulate them as it must be very challenging teaching in this way. The long break in the day, when there would have been lunch and Forder, allows time for a relaxed lunch and exercise which is essential to wellbeing. I was impressed with the addition of yoga to the curriculum and would very much welcome other wellbeing initiatives within the school day.’ ‘The school has adapted really well to all of the lockdowns. Lessons have continued throughout and my child has remained really engaged with his lessons’
93%
Rated our remote learning excellent or good
100%
Parent satisfaction
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‘My daughter looks forward to her lessons and finds them enjoyable. I feel as though she is able to have an excellent educational experience even when working remotely. She told me that she likes break out rooms and having discussions in class’
‘The patience and kindness shown by all the teachers and staff has been wonderful. Communication has been great throughout the pandemic. The headmaster’s weekly video updates are really useful and have always kept us informed’
‘There have been some brilliant lessons in Art and Design Engineering with my son running around the house to find bits to use. I have also been impressed with how much effort has gone into the students’ wellbeing with Forder activities and Wellbeing Week.’
St a n s te a d Ro a d , Lo n d o n S E 6 4 T Y A co - e d u c at i o n a l , i n d e p e n d e nt Co l l e ge fo r a ge s 3 to 1 8 www. s t d u n s t a n s . o rg . u k 020 8516 7200 Charity number: 312747
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