Remote Learning Provision
Caldew School Remote Learning Provision
In the exceptional circumstances where it is not possible for some or all students to attend school, we will follow the guidance from the DfE: Providing remote education: guidance for schools - GOV.UK
Introduction
Remote education should only ever be considered as a last resort where attendance at school is not possible, but students are able to continue learning. Attendance is essential for students to get the most out of their school experience, including for their attainment, wellbeing and wider life changes.
It is not an equal alternative to attendance in school and it would only be considered as a last resort when the alternative would be no education. The availability of remote education should not be a deciding factor in whether or not a student can attend school. To access remote education, the decision that a student cannot attend school must already have been made. In these exceptional circumstances, remote education can play an important role in helping students to keep on track with their learning and have contact with their teachers and peers. Students who are absent from school will still be marked absent if they are receiving remote education.
When should remote education be considered?
There are two main reasons for the use of remote education:
· School closures or restrictions on attendance, where school access for students is restricted
· Individual cases where a student is unable to attend school in the short term, but is able to learn e.g. recovering from short-term infectious illnesses, preparing for or recovering from some operations, recovering from injuries where attendance might inhibit their recovery. Whether or not remote education is appropriate will be considered on a case by case basis as part of a plan for a student to return to school, and only if it is judged that providing remote education for an agreed, limited period of time would not adversely affect the student’s return to school.
How will we provide Remote Education at Caldew School?
We will use Firefly to provide remote education, when necessary. This platform is already used regularly as part of the school curriculum, including for homework, so students are familiar with it. It will allow us to provide remote education which is high-quality, meaningful, ambitious, and cover the curriculum to enable students to keep on track with their learning.
Firefly is an online Virtual Learning Environment for students, parents and carers. On Firefly, you will be able to access the following:
· Any online classes through video conferencing (Microsoft TEAMS)
· Pre-recorded lessons
· Class learning materials
· Homework details
· Marks & feedback
Some lessons will require students to upload work that has been completed. Some lessons will not require this. Instructions will be set out by the teacher in the task description.
Any questions can be asked via Firefly. Students can send a message or use the message options on any tasks that has been set. If students are struggling with any aspects of remote learning, please get in touch.
What are students expected to do?
Students will be expected to be able to:
- Log into their school email account.
- Log into their Firefly account.
- Access a Microsoft TEAMS Meeting.
- Access Microsoft Office Tools such as Word/Publisher/PowerPoint.
At Caldew School, students have free access to all of the above. If you have any difficulty with any of these, there is information at the bottom of this page.
What will students need at home?
· Students will need a device that can access the internet, such as a laptop, desktop computer, tablet or smartphone.
· Students will need certain materials like notebook, pens, pencils, etc.
· Students will also need a quiet space where they can work without interruption.
What if we don’t have access to a devices/ the internet?
Where necessary, we may be able to provide a laptop/tablet for students to use to complete their work. If your child does not have any of the above, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can support you.
Where necessary, we will also provide printed resources, such as textbooks and workbooks, for students who do not have suitable online access.
Please contact office@caldew.cumbria.sch.uk or call us on 01228 710044 and let us know how we can help.
What can parents and carers do to help?
Parents and carers can make sure that their child can access Firefly and knows their login details and password. They can also support by ensuring that students follow a daily routine, as far as is possible. It would be really helpful if parents and carers can take an active role in their child’s learning by asking them about their day and what work they’ve done.
How will students’ work and progress be assessed?
Our approach to feeding back on students’ work is as follows:
· 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 Firefly are also valid and effective methods, amongst many others.
· Teachers will ensure Assessment for Learning is used during any live lessons; checking marking will be completed as per departmental policy and students will have Key Assessment Tasks set as per school policy where they will receive a grade and detailed feedback.
How will the school work with parents and carers to help students who need additional support from adults at home to access remote education?
We recognise that some students, for example some students with special educational needs and 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.
What if students/parents and carers are struggling to access remote learning or are having difficulties with the technology?
Please find help and advice on a variety of subjects below:
Logging into the School Email
1. Go to the Caldew School website and click ‘Log In’ at the top.
2. Click on ‘Student Mail’
3. Enter your school email address. If your name is John Smith, it would be: 25smithj@caldewschool.com. The number at the start of the address is dependent on the year you started Caldew. (Year 7 – 20, Year 8 – 19, Year 9 – 18, Year 10 – 17, Year 11 – 16, Year 12 – 15, Year 13 – 14)
4. Enter your password.
What if a student has forgotten their password?
If you cannot access your school email, we will have to reset the password for you. Please call the school and explain that this is the case. We will then change your password and you will then need to follow the instructions above but when you get to point 4, complete the following:
4. Enter the password: Caldew2025! (NB. Capital C for Caldew and exclamation mark.)
5. Once you have logged in, you can change the password to one of your own choice. Please make sure that you make a note of this somewhere safe.
Logging into Firefly
You can access Firefly from your PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone. Our website URL is:
https://caldew.fireflycloud.net
Students have been given their details to on how to gain access, however, the instructions are as follows:
1. Go to the Caldew School website and click ‘Log In’ at the top.
2. Click on “Caldew Firefly”.
3. Log in to Firefly by clicking on the ‘Staff and Student Login’. You can then log into Firefly using your normal school log in and password.
The Firefly App
There is also a student app for iOS and Android should students wish to keep track and access all work set via a mobile device or tablet. Students can download the Student App: For iOS from the App Store / For Android from Google Play.
The school code is caldew. (You are required to type this in when downloading the app)
Further information on how to use the app can be found here:
Students app overview & documentation - Firefly Help Centre (fireflylearning.com)
A helpful video guide is here:
https://helpcentre.fireflylearning.com/students/app/ios/getting-started/quick-tour
Accessing Microsoft Office for programs such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel.
When students log in to their school emails they can take advantage of Microsoft Office. All students have access to the programmes. Once they log in through the school website this is what they will see.
If they click on the links it will open the programmes for them. When saving documents, it will save them to their One Drive. This means they can save all of their documents to one place and know they are safe. They can access them in school and at home.
Using Microsoft TEAMS
If teachers are delivering a live lesson, then they will send a link through Firefly to Join Microsoft TEAMS. Students can access this in the tasks section of Firefly. There will be a link in the task section which looks something like this:
Students should click on the link and join their lesson. Once on TEAMs, there are various instructions to remember. Please watch the following video for some handy tips!
During live lessons, students should be mindful that everyone can see them so they may want to consider what they are wearing and where they are. Lesson etiquette remains the same. No students should be in pyjamas or inappropriate clothing. Students should use the ‘blur background’ feature when participating in any live lesson where possible. Some live lessons will be recorded and if this is the case, cameras MUST be switched off.
How should students conduct themselves online?
· All students have signed an acceptable use agreement.
· Students should only use their school email account when contacting teachers and joining online lessons.
· Students should dress appropriately and ensure their background is blurred or they have a blank background behind them. Cameras should be switched off if the lesson is being recorded.
· Students should be mindful of their behaviour and language. They should follow the Caldew Code of Conduct as they would for lessons in school.
· Students should not take photos/screenshots/recordings of anything provided by the school such as live lessons or recorded videos.
If there are any safeguarding concerns, students should contact their trusted adult in school or Miss Howson (Designated Safeguarding Lead).
The Basics of Firefly
Finding the work set by teachers:
Students will receive lesson instructions and tasks via the “Tasks” section on Firefly.
Click on each of the tasks set for a full description of what to do.
Marking tasks as done
When students have completed a task they need to let teachers know. To do this:
1. Go to the task.
2. Choose “Mark as done”.
Please watch the following video (https://youtu.be/GpyXI9TgvJ0) for a tour of the basics. This includes:
-A quick tour
-Viewing your tasks
-Marking tasks as done
-Submitting work
-Viewing your marks
IT Support
We are offering a support service to students who are unable to access their school resources. We will be able to help with login issues for School Email, Firefly and Office365.
For support, please email:
ITsupport@caldew.cumbria.sch.uk
A technician will contact you as soon as they can. Please provide as much information as you can in your email, including your login name, and screenshots if possible. Do not include your password.