Stanmore Post - 5 February 2021
Dear Parents,
We are continuing to work well within our ‘Blended Learning approach, combining remote and home education. The tasks are improving as we find out more about how best to engage children in learning through ongoing feedback and assessment. Through the tasks and quizzes we are now able to assess children either through the work online or through work in school. This means that by the end of the year, despite the withdrawal of KS1 and KS2 testing this year, we will be able to give you up the most accurate information about how your child is doing. While we are hopeful that children will be back in school before Easter, we are not yet certain. For that reason we have made some changes to our termly Pupil Progress reviews. Parents evening this Spring Term will take the form of a phone call again. We will be offering telephone appointments during the week beginning 15th March. The purpose of this meeting will be to focus on how your child has managed within the Blended Learning phase and to evaluate their progress to date. This year, we will offer an additional Parents Evening in June where we will aim for a face to face meeting. At this meeting we will be able to discuss progress and transition into the next school year. We will share targets and ways in which we are supporting your child to secure the key learning that they need to make that process as smooth as possible.
Thank you for your feedback on the Google Classroom work. It is good to hear that children are enjoying lessons and becoming increasing familiar with the routine. The quality of the ‘turned in’ work is consistent. We have listened to parents who have told us that sometimes there are not enough opportunities for breaks during the day. This is a problem, particularly between the maths extension and English. We have responded by ensuring that slides are available on the Classroom page so children could go back and check their work, completing it later in the week. From Monday there is a new session ‘Rapid round up,’ where children can ask a teacher for any additional help. This may be useful for children who have had to move quickly from one session to another without being sure about how to start the task. A top tip from one parent is to encourage your child to start working alongside the teacher, not to wait until the end of the session to start. We have picked this tip up and teachers are suggesting that children work with them where possible. Ultimately you know when your child has done enough. It is essential that they get proper breaks in the day, eat well and get some fresh air and exercise. The quantity of work set caters for the broad range of children within the class, so don’t worry. If you can see that your child has done enough, even if they haven’t finished, it is ok to stop. If they are too stretched, focus on phonics, reading and maths and then perhaps select some of the wider curriculum subjects that they particularly enjoy. Whatever they are doing, if they are joining in on time and turning in work, we are proud of them. This is a real achievement and they are developing their keys for success which they can rely on in the future.
It is not just the children at home who are managing extremely well, the children in school have had to adapt to different routines, different teachers and in some cases different bubbles. Children throughout the school are working hard in their bubbles enjoying learning about Stonehenge and surviving in the Amazon.
The opportunities for children at school and home to participate in a shared experience like Assembly and ‘Chill and chat’ are the highlight of the week. I have heard that Mr and Mrs Read have turned into gameshow hosts!
If you can’t find a space for your child to work, or you are struggling with technology, including internet connection or having enough devices to work on, then we may be able to help you. Please contact the school office: adminoffice@stanmore.hants.sch.uk Thank you for your ongoing support.