Sparken Hill Academy
Remote Education
Remote Education at Sparken Hill Academy
This page explains what pupils and families can expect from remote education at Sparken Hill Academy. Remote education is only used when attending school is not possible: for example, if the school or a class has to close, such as in severe weather, or if a pupil cannot attend but is well enough to learn. For individual pupils learning at home while their class is in school, please see the final section. Staff should also refer to our Remote Learning Policy.
In the Foundation Stage, remote learning is short and play-based: families receive a simple daily plan through the Arbor app, with phonics, maths and story activities that need little or no screen time, a paper resource pack for every child, and a weekly phone call from their child's teacher or key worker.
The first day or two
A pupil's first day or two of remote education may look a little different while we prepare for a longer period of remote teaching.
Key Stages 1 and 2
We use Google Classroom. Within the first day or two, tasks will be set on your child's Google Classroom page. Visit classroom.google.com and make sure your child logs in with the Google Workspace username and password they have been given. Teachers will message their class to explain the remote learning and will hold a live assembly to talk pupils through what is expected.
Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception)
Communication will be through the Arbor app. Families will receive a simple plan for the day, and a paper resource pack will be available for every child.
Will my child be taught the same curriculum as in school?
We teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate, with some adaptations. For example, in Art, where families may not have the same materials at home, we may teach a drawing or digital art unit instead, while still covering the same curriculum objectives. In PE, teachers will share activities that can be done at home. Some subjects, such as Design and Technology, are difficult to study at home, so we may teach other subjects first and complete the DT unit when pupils return. Subject leaders work with year groups to make sure the curriculum is suitable for remote learning.
In the Foundation Stage, remote learning follows the same early learning priorities as in school, especially communication and language, phonics, early maths and stories, delivered through short, play-based activities.
How long will remote learning take each day?
We expect remote education (including remote teaching and independent work) to take pupils broadly the following time each day:
Phase Time each day Nursery A weekly ideas sheet of songs, rhymes, stories and play, to fit around family life Reception A few short activities, each lasting 10 to 15 minutes Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) 3 hours Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) 4 hours
How will my child access remote education?
In Key Stages 1 and 2, teachers use Google Classroom to set tasks each day and to share links to live and recorded lessons. Children submit their work on Google Classroom for teachers to see and respond to.
In the Foundation Stage, families receive a simple daily plan through the Arbor app, with phonics, maths and story activities that need little or no screen time, a paper resource pack for every child, and a weekly phone call from their child's teacher or key worker.
What if we do not have a device or internet access at home?
We know some families may not have suitable online access. We will help in the following ways:
- Devices. Call the school office on 01909 534060 to request a laptop, Chromebook or iPad. Devices are allocated and collected from the school office. Key Stage 2 pupils will be given their own 1-1 iPad where needed. Key Stage 1 devices are more limited, so they are allocated by need. If all devices have been given out, we will keep a waiting list and ask other organisations for more.
- Internet access. Where they can be sourced, dongles are available for families without an internet connection. Call the school office to request one.
- Printed materials. If we cannot provide a device and connection, printed work can be requested through the school office. It is printed on Mondays, ready for collection from the office. Every Foundation Stage child receives a paper resource pack.
- Sending work back. Children can photograph their work and email it to their phase team, marked for the attention of their teacher: fs@sparkenhill.com, y12@sparkenhill.com, y34@sparkenhill.com or y56@sparkenhill.com. In Key Stages 1 and 2, photos can also be uploaded to Google Classroom from a phone. Paper work can be returned to the school office on Friday afternoons. In the Foundation Stage, sending work back is optional, and children are welcome to bring it in when they return.
How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of:
- live teaching (online lessons)
- recorded teaching, for example videos made by our teachers and White Rose Maths recorded lessons
- Google Slides with attached tasks for pupils to work through
- carefully chosen websites and video clips that support particular subjects
In the Foundation Stage, teachers may share short recorded stories and phonics sounds, and most activities are practical things to do together with a parent or carer.
What do you expect from my child, and from us as parents and carers?
Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 should
- join their live lessons (we timetable these to avoid clashes between year groups, so brothers and sisters can attend as much as possible)
- attend their daily year group assembly, so they understand the day's tasks; this is also part of our safeguarding procedures
Parents and carers should
- set routines that support learning, such as bedtime routines, and make sure their child is dressed and has had breakfast before starting work
- stay nearby and not leave their child unattended
- not do the work for their child; if your child is stuck, contact their class teacher
- not try to recreate school at home; find a routine that works for your household
- where possible, stay off camera during live lessons
In the Foundation Stage, we ask parents and carers to share the short daily activities with their child and to take the weekly call from their child's teacher or key worker.
How will you check my child is engaging, and how will I know if there is a concern?
- A register of attendance at assemblies and live lessons is taken daily.
- If a pupil is not attending, the teacher will call home to discuss this and help with any access problems.
- Teachers will also call home if they are concerned about engagement.
- Poor attendance will be reported to the Senior Leadership Team and our Attendance Officer, who may also contact families.
- In the Foundation Stage, the weekly phone call is our main way of keeping in touch with each child.
- If we are unable to get in touch with a child, we will make a home visit to check they are safe.
How will you assess my child's work and progress?
Feedback can take many forms and does not always mean written comments for each child. Whole-class feedback and quizzes marked automatically are also effective. Our approach:
- Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 receive feedback on submitted work through Google Classroom. Please encourage your child to read it, so they know what they are doing well and what to improve.
- Feedback is also given verbally, for example in year group assemblies and through Star of the Week.
- Teachers may share top tips, including help with using the technology.
- Children receive verbal feedback on their reading during reading phone calls, and their progress is shared with the class teacher.
- In the Foundation Stage, feedback is given mainly during the weekly phone call, talking with parents about how their child is getting on.
Feedback looks different for each lesson and age group, but pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 can expect some verbal or written feedback every day.
Additional support for pupils with particular needs
Some pupils, including some with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may need support from adults at home to access remote education. We know this can be difficult for families, and we will work with you in the following ways:
- Support staff will continue to run interventions remotely, and other professionals will continue their sessions where possible.
- Resources will be adapted to each child's needs and shared on Google Classroom, through the Arbor app for Foundation Stage children, or as paper packs.
- Pupils on our SEND or safeguarding registers will receive more frequent phone calls.
- For further help, please contact your child's class teacher or their phase SENCO through the school office.
Remote education for individual pupils
Sometimes a pupil cannot attend school but is well enough to learn while the rest of their class is in school, for example after an operation. Remote education will be arranged differently, because teachers will be teaching their class in school at the same time.
The pupil will receive the slides and tasks being taught in school for core and foundation subjects through Google Classroom, or through the Arbor app and a paper pack in the Foundation Stage. There will not be live or recorded lessons. Teachers will look at submitted work and give feedback. The class teacher will call the pupil once a week, and the pupil will also receive a reading phone call from support staff.
We aim to make sure that every pupil learning at home follows a planned and well-sequenced curriculum, with meaningful and ambitious work each day across several subjects, and receives feedback on it.
Remote Education at Sparken Hill Academy
This page explains what pupils and families can expect from remote education at Sparken Hill Academy. Remote education is only used when attending school is not possible: for example, if the school or a class has to close, such as in severe weather, or if a pupil cannot attend but is well enough to learn. For individual pupils learning at home while their class is in school, please see the final section. Staff should also refer to our Remote Learning Policy.
In the Foundation Stage, remote learning is short and play-based: families receive a simple daily plan through the Arbor app, with phonics, maths and story activities that need little or no screen time, a paper resource pack for every child, and a weekly phone call from their child's teacher or key worker.
The first day or two
A pupil's first day or two of remote education may look a little different while we prepare for a longer period of remote teaching.
Key Stages 1 and 2
We use Google Classroom. Within the first day or two, tasks will be set on your child's Google Classroom page. Visit classroom.google.com and make sure your child logs in with the Google Workspace username and password they have been given. Teachers will message their class to explain the remote learning and will hold a live assembly to talk pupils through what is expected.
Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception)
Communication will be through the Arbor app. Families will receive a simple plan for the day, and a paper resource pack will be available for every child.
Will my child be taught the same curriculum as in school?
We teach the same curriculum remotely as we do in school wherever possible and appropriate, with some adaptations. For example, in Art, where families may not have the same materials at home, we may teach a drawing or digital art unit instead, while still covering the same curriculum objectives. In PE, teachers will share activities that can be done at home. Some subjects, such as Design and Technology, are difficult to study at home, so we may teach other subjects first and complete the DT unit when pupils return. Subject leaders work with year groups to make sure the curriculum is suitable for remote learning.
In the Foundation Stage, remote learning follows the same early learning priorities as in school, especially communication and language, phonics, early maths and stories, delivered through short, play-based activities.
How long will remote learning take each day?
We expect remote education (including remote teaching and independent work) to take pupils broadly the following time each day:
| Phase | Time each day |
|---|---|
| Nursery | A weekly ideas sheet of songs, rhymes, stories and play, to fit around family life |
| Reception | A few short activities, each lasting 10 to 15 minutes |
| Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) | 3 hours |
| Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) | 4 hours |
How will my child access remote education?
In Key Stages 1 and 2, teachers use Google Classroom to set tasks each day and to share links to live and recorded lessons. Children submit their work on Google Classroom for teachers to see and respond to.
In the Foundation Stage, families receive a simple daily plan through the Arbor app, with phonics, maths and story activities that need little or no screen time, a paper resource pack for every child, and a weekly phone call from their child's teacher or key worker.
What if we do not have a device or internet access at home?
We know some families may not have suitable online access. We will help in the following ways:
- Devices. Call the school office on 01909 534060 to request a laptop, Chromebook or iPad. Devices are allocated and collected from the school office. Key Stage 2 pupils will be given their own 1-1 iPad where needed. Key Stage 1 devices are more limited, so they are allocated by need. If all devices have been given out, we will keep a waiting list and ask other organisations for more.
- Internet access. Where they can be sourced, dongles are available for families without an internet connection. Call the school office to request one.
- Printed materials. If we cannot provide a device and connection, printed work can be requested through the school office. It is printed on Mondays, ready for collection from the office. Every Foundation Stage child receives a paper resource pack.
- Sending work back. Children can photograph their work and email it to their phase team, marked for the attention of their teacher: fs@sparkenhill.com, y12@sparkenhill.com, y34@sparkenhill.com or y56@sparkenhill.com. In Key Stages 1 and 2, photos can also be uploaded to Google Classroom from a phone. Paper work can be returned to the school office on Friday afternoons. In the Foundation Stage, sending work back is optional, and children are welcome to bring it in when they return.
How will my child be taught remotely?
We use a combination of:
- live teaching (online lessons)
- recorded teaching, for example videos made by our teachers and White Rose Maths recorded lessons
- Google Slides with attached tasks for pupils to work through
- carefully chosen websites and video clips that support particular subjects
In the Foundation Stage, teachers may share short recorded stories and phonics sounds, and most activities are practical things to do together with a parent or carer.
What do you expect from my child, and from us as parents and carers?
Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 should
- join their live lessons (we timetable these to avoid clashes between year groups, so brothers and sisters can attend as much as possible)
- attend their daily year group assembly, so they understand the day's tasks; this is also part of our safeguarding procedures
Parents and carers should
- set routines that support learning, such as bedtime routines, and make sure their child is dressed and has had breakfast before starting work
- stay nearby and not leave their child unattended
- not do the work for their child; if your child is stuck, contact their class teacher
- not try to recreate school at home; find a routine that works for your household
- where possible, stay off camera during live lessons
In the Foundation Stage, we ask parents and carers to share the short daily activities with their child and to take the weekly call from their child's teacher or key worker.
How will you check my child is engaging, and how will I know if there is a concern?
- A register of attendance at assemblies and live lessons is taken daily.
- If a pupil is not attending, the teacher will call home to discuss this and help with any access problems.
- Teachers will also call home if they are concerned about engagement.
- Poor attendance will be reported to the Senior Leadership Team and our Attendance Officer, who may also contact families.
- In the Foundation Stage, the weekly phone call is our main way of keeping in touch with each child.
- If we are unable to get in touch with a child, we will make a home visit to check they are safe.
How will you assess my child's work and progress?
Feedback can take many forms and does not always mean written comments for each child. Whole-class feedback and quizzes marked automatically are also effective. Our approach:
- Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 receive feedback on submitted work through Google Classroom. Please encourage your child to read it, so they know what they are doing well and what to improve.
- Feedback is also given verbally, for example in year group assemblies and through Star of the Week.
- Teachers may share top tips, including help with using the technology.
- Children receive verbal feedback on their reading during reading phone calls, and their progress is shared with the class teacher.
- In the Foundation Stage, feedback is given mainly during the weekly phone call, talking with parents about how their child is getting on.
Feedback looks different for each lesson and age group, but pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 can expect some verbal or written feedback every day.
Additional support for pupils with particular needs
Some pupils, including some with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may need support from adults at home to access remote education. We know this can be difficult for families, and we will work with you in the following ways:
- Support staff will continue to run interventions remotely, and other professionals will continue their sessions where possible.
- Resources will be adapted to each child's needs and shared on Google Classroom, through the Arbor app for Foundation Stage children, or as paper packs.
- Pupils on our SEND or safeguarding registers will receive more frequent phone calls.
- For further help, please contact your child's class teacher or their phase SENCO through the school office.
Remote education for individual pupils
Sometimes a pupil cannot attend school but is well enough to learn while the rest of their class is in school, for example after an operation. Remote education will be arranged differently, because teachers will be teaching their class in school at the same time.
The pupil will receive the slides and tasks being taught in school for core and foundation subjects through Google Classroom, or through the Arbor app and a paper pack in the Foundation Stage. There will not be live or recorded lessons. Teachers will look at submitted work and give feedback. The class teacher will call the pupil once a week, and the pupil will also receive a reading phone call from support staff.
We aim to make sure that every pupil learning at home follows a planned and well-sequenced curriculum, with meaningful and ambitious work each day across several subjects, and receives feedback on it.
For further information, please contact:
Sparken Hill Academy
Sparken Hill
Worksop
Nottinghamshire
S80 1AW
Telephone: 01909 534060
Email: office@sparkenhill.com