Remote Learning

Bristol Free School remote education provision: information for parents  

The remote curriculum: what is taught to students at home 

A student’s first day or two of being educated remotely at the beginning of self-isolation or local/national restrictions might look different from our standard approach, while we take all necessary actions to prepare for a longer period of remote teaching.  Please note that full details of the school’s curriculum is available on our website for each subject and year group. If the content of the remote curriculum is different this will be made clear by subject teachers. 

What should my child expect from immediate remote education in the first day or two of students being sent home?

If your child has been sent home to isolate while school is operational, they should follow their normal school timetable. Lessons should be accessed via Microsoft Teams. Your child will complete the same tasks as other students and will be able to interact with their teacher. If their normal teacher is not available tasks will be set for your child to access with instructions for how work should be submitted where applicable.

In the event of a local or national restriction which means school is not operational students will be expected to follow their normal school timetable. Tasks will be set on Microsoft Teams. Some live lessons will be available depending on capacity within the school. This may vary over time. 

In both cases the intention is for remote learning to be available from the first day, although it may on occasion take a second day to be up and running. 

Other software may be used in line with the detail elsewhere in this document, in addition to Microsoft Teams as stated above.

Following the first few days of remote education, will my child be taught broadly the same curriculum as they would if they were in school? 

As far as practicable your child will receive the same curriculum as would be the case in school. Tasks in practical subjects such as art, design/technology, drama, music and PE will be adapted when necessary for home schooling.  

Remote teaching and study time each day 
How long can I expect work set by the school to take my child each day? 

We expect that remote education (including remote teaching and independent work) will take students broadly the following number of hours each day: 

Secondary school-aged students not working towards formal qualifications this year 

At least 5 hours per day including homework demands. 

Secondary school-aged students working towards formal qualifications this year 

At least 6 hours per day including homework demands. 

Accessing remote education 
How will my child access any online remote education you are providing? 

We will use Microsoft Teams for 

We will use ClassCharts for

Lessons should be accessed using a device suitable for the task. The same applies to completing work. In most cases this will be a laptop or PC. Students should also be in a location where they are able to concentrate. 

If my child does not have digital or online access at home, how will you support them to access remote education? 

We recognise that some students may not have suitable online access at home. We take the following approaches to support those students to access remote education: 

You should contact us via admin@bristolfreeschool.org.uk  for further information. Alternatively please call us on 0117 9597200.

How will my child be taught remotely? 

We use a combination of the following approaches to teach students remotely. 

The range of approaches we will use to teach students remotely are:

Each student will receive a blended approach, the nature of which is likely to vary from day to day and subject to subject.  

Engagement and feedback 
What are your expectations for my child’s engagement and the support that we as parents and carers should provide at home?

Our expectations are that parents ensure their child:

If parents and carers wish to contact the school about a curriculum concern, they should email admin@bristolfreeschool.org.uk stating their child’s full name and the specific issue they need support with.

If parents and carers wish to contact the school about a pastoral concern, they should email admin@bristolfreeschool.org.uk and it will be referred to your child’s tutor, year leader and senior staff depending on the issue raised.

Periodically the school will contact you to complete a survey to gain your overall feedback. 

How will you check whether my child is engaging with their work and how will I be informed if there are concerns? 

We will do this by: 

How will you assess my child’s work and progress?

Feedback can take many forms and may not always mean extensive written comments for individual children. For example, whole-class feedback or quizzes marked automatically via digital platforms are also valid and effective methods, amongst many others. 

Our approach to feeding back on student work is as follows: 

Additional support for students with particular needs
How will you work with me to help my child who needs additional support from adults at home to access remote education?

Bristol Free School recognises that some students, for example those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), may not be able to access remote education without support from adults at home. We acknowledge the difficulties this may place on families, and we will work with parents and carers to support those students, replicating the normal provision as far as possible. The SENCo will explain openly and honestly to parents and carers which services are possible to deliver and what alternatives can be put in place.

The SEND department will: 

EHCP students working from home will have:

Annual reviews and consults will continue in the usual way, with priority given to students at key transition stages.

Referrals and outside agencies:
 
Remote education for self-isolating students

Where individual students need to self-isolate but the majority of their peer group remains in school, how remote education is provided will likely differ from the approach for whole groups. This is due to the challenges of teaching students both at home and in school.

If my child is not in school because they are self-isolating, how will their remote education differ from the approaches described above?

Please see the information at the beginning of this document. Access to lessons through Microsoft Teams will ensure your child receives a high-quality education.