Home Learning
If your child is at home in term time due to Covid-19, and they are well enough to work, you can access home learning through your child’s ClassDojo account and looking at their ClassDojo to help continue their education.
Below, you will find a copy of St Antony's Remote Learning Policy and copies of Online Guidance for both parents & pupils. Please take your time to read through these carefully.
If any child needs to borrow a device in order to ensure that they can learn from home please call the school office and this can be arranged for you. When collecting your device parents will be asked to sign a Laptop Loan Agreement.
If a whole class bubble is isolating or if we enter a local or national lockdown where school is asked to close to most pupils:
EYFS
We will send regular updates with practical activities, games, and work to do with your child at home. We encourage parents to communicate with staff through ClassDojo too. We will provide a mixture of live online sessions, collective worship, assemblies and reading sessions. These online sessions will be held using Zoom and links will be posted within upcoming updates so that parents are aware of timings.
Years 1-6
We will provide a mixture of live online teaching sessions, collective worship, assemblies and reading sessions as well as work/ activities set to complete at home. These online sessions will be held using Zoom and/or Google Meet. These sessions will be posted in children’s Class Story (on ClassDojo) so that you and your child is aware of the time of the sessions.
If your child’s bubble in school is still open, but your child is unable to attend, because they are isolating:
We will provide work which the rest of the class are completing in school through their ClassDojo account.
Live Online Session Etiquette
Online teaching will take place via Google Meet or Zoom. Each child has been provided with an individual username and password to access their Google Classroom. Parents should ensure this is kept secure and not shared.
Online teaching will always take place with 2 staff members in the room. There will be no 1:1 sessions.
Please make sure an adult is present in the room while the session takes place. They do not need to be in view of the screen.
Staff and children must wear suitable clothing. School uniform is not expected but no pyjamas please.
Any computers used should be in appropriate areas, for example not bedrooms, and care should be taken to ensure that what is visible in the background is appropriate for all to see.
Cameras should be switched on and children should be visible at all times. However if the child’s device does not have a camera then this is accepted.
Language must be professional and appropriate, including of family members in the background.
When the children log on they may have a few minutes to say hello to their friends, but must stay on ‘mute’ when asked so that the session can begin.
Staff may share their screen with children, they may ask the children to answer a question by using the chat function.
All Zoom and Google Meet meetings will be recorded for safeguarding reasons, the head teacher and safeguarding team will have access to all sessions.
Taking photographs, screenshots or recording of the live sessions is not permitted.
How to help your child
The Government guidance; Help primary children continue their education during coronavirus’ (updated 16 July 2020) states that the best way to help children aged 4 to 7 learn is to:
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sit with them as they work;
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do active and practical things, rather than trying to make them sit and listen for long periods;
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try to break down the work into shorter periods, based on how long they can concentrate;
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take frequent breaks;
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praise or reward them when they do well.
We recognise that due to the age of our pupils, many activities, including those we provide for in-school learning are of a practical and play based nature and that children often need adult support to complete their tasks.
We know that each child’s needs and each family’s circumstances will be unique. Therefore, the tasks we provide for at-home learning are a suggestion for parents to use. Class teachers will be available to discuss each child’s specific learning priorities and offer other help and support if parents request this. Regular wellbeing calls are being made so parents and this is a great opportunity to discuss how the children feel with online learning.
E-safety
We recognise that with increased uses of digital devices, children may be more at risk from dangers online including viewing inappropriate content, having contact with inappropriate people and be at risk from experiencing or acting themselves with poor conduct.
We recommend parents ask their child regularly:
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Where they are going and what they see? – this will help talk about content risk.
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What they do online? – this will help understand any conduct risks and see whether children are chatting on anonymous sites or posting comments about themselves.
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Who they are talking to? – this will help cover the contact risks, particularly if children’s online friends are people they do not know offline.
Guidance on keeping children safe online is available below. Children should be supervised by and adult when accessing the internet. Children of a primary school age should be supervised when using the internet.
NSPCC NetAware: 8 Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe Online During Lockdown
What do people say?
Testimonials
We must say you are an amazing school! We can’t thank you enough for your contribution towards building up our children’s confidence and also bringing joy into their life everyday while attending school. Our children have both done so well and have made so much progress. We have enjoyed working with the EYFS Lead and her team from the pre-school to Reception. In the mornings our children just run into school, always looking forward to what they will do and what they will learn and experience. They come home every day always very excited to share what they are learning such as songs, stories, phonics and art. We could not be happier. Thank you for making them feel so happy, safe and at home.
Mr & Mrs Dumitru
The moment that my son entered year 6 at St Antony’s, I noticed a remarkable transformation in his attitude and approach to learning; but most importantly, to his self-image and self-belief. He had always lacked confidence, largely due to the fact that he stuttered. Thankfully, his teacher-the Deputy Head and head of year 6, took the time to develop his confidence and self-esteem through engaging him in the Drama Club which she leads. She skillfully and intentionally used the Performing Arts to pull him out of his shell. He was included in every production and performance from Christmas to Easter, to the big end of year musical and he simply flourished- socially, emotionally and especially academically! By the end of year 6, he achieved GDS (well above national) in all areas in the SATS and is now such a confident speaker. He has such a bright future ahead of him.
Mrs RDA
I have three children in attendance at St Antony’s Catholic Primary, covering the full spectrum of the phases: EYFS, KS1 and KS2 and my experience has been that the staff at all levels of the school genuinely care about the children and want to see them thrive and achieve to their fullest individual potential and beyond. The Head and SLT are so committed to the children’s growth and development that they invest a lot of their time running before, during and after school programs and interventions along with their staff- giving the children the very best opportunities to be spiritually, socially, academically and morally, optimally rounded. My children love their school and look forward to going everyday –even for programs on the week-ends and in the holidays-which is of such great help to working parents. The children are really at the heart of the school; which truly has Christ at its center.
A Proud St Antony’s Dad
My son is on the autistic spectrum and is classified as having ‘High Needs’, so it is quite a challenge for him to engage socially and emotionally with anyone… even family. The love, care, patience and support that my child has received at St Antony’s is beyond belief. He has had bespoke programs and interventions put in place that have helped him to be able to read and answer basic questions, write, learn his numbers and do basic maths -which will help him to be more independent in the future. The greatest blessing for me however, are the ‘life skills’ that my son has been taught such as riding a bike, basic cooking and self-care, safe travel, swimming and actually engaging with others in after school clubs such as Drama. When I consider that this is not a special school, which does not get the funding to fully support children like my son, I cannot help but feel really blessed.
Mrs MD