Remote Education

Over the Covid pandemic schools around the world were forced to consider ways which would allow students to access their education whilst not being physically able to attend school.

Whilst those days thankfully are behind us, remote education is a ‘covid keeper’ and can now serve as a possible solution, albeit a last resort, where attendance at school is not possible but pupils are able to continue learning.

Attendance matters – and as per our school ethos, it matters for much more than ‘just’ exam results. At FSG, we rate personal development and character education as of equal importance to academic success and we try and make school therefore not just about maths, English, geography and all the rest….    

School is just as importantly about being a part of something, being surrounded by friends; learning new things, doing new things; experiencing new things; at FSG its about a whole host of other opportunities like DoE, CCF, mountain biking, archery, climbing……… missing school is missing out on all of that – friends, opportunities, fun, belonging!

There is, too, naturally, a huge impact on attainment and achievement. Those who take an occasional day (or a week, or a fortnight) off school miss building blocks of knowledge. Catching up is a treadmill that becomes unmanageable, stressful and so their learning is fractured.

School is a big, big part of a normal childhood experience, a shared experience. Without school that network of friends around us starts to diminish; Saturdays, Sundays and school holidays are just as impacted as friends begin to fall by the wayside. We just can’t add to the conversation! We weren’t there to see Mr Smith in the school play; we weren’t there that day in History when you had to rap about Henry VIII and his six wives; we weren’t there on the field trip; we weren’t there to see this or to hear that! Missing school is missing out!

Attendance impacts academic results, personal development, friendships, mental health and resilience. Simply, attendance is essential for pupils to get the most out of their school experience, including for their attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances. Remote education therefore should not be viewed as an equal alternative to attendance in school. For this reason, DfE expects schools to consider it only as a last resort when the alternative would be no education, and only after it has been established that the pupil is, or will be, absent from school and is able to complete work.

In such cases, remote education can have the benefit of allowing absent pupils to keep in touch with their education and stay somewhat connected to their teachers and peers. Pupils absent from school and receiving remote education still need to be marked as absent in the register.

Scenarios where remote education should be considered:

Circumstances where it might not be possible for pupils to receive in person education fit into two broad categories:

School closures or restrictions on attendance, where school access for pupils is restricted

School closures are thankfully extremely rare and our standpoint is to remain open or to re-open as soon as possible. In the unlikely event of extreme weather, such as a heavy snow downfall it is likely that a first day would be given as a well-being day; a single day out of school over the course of a few years to enjoy the snow is good for the soul and unlikely to lead to any long-term educational impact. On a second day of disruption though the school would move to online learning through google classroom/email and/or subject specific software which was our established practice over lockdown. Teachers would be available online during the normal timetabled lessons for help and guidance and work would be set throughout the day to reflect the in-school normal daily timetable. The same procedures would apply for extended closure for any longer period of time with the school doing all we could to re-open fully as soon as possible or partially where that might allow key year groups – such as exam years- back sooner still.

Individual cases where a pupil is unable to attend school but is able to learn

There are limited circumstances where a pupil is unable to attend school but is able and well enough to continue their education remotely. In general pupils that are off school because of illness are too ill to attend school and therefore should be resting and in recovery to allow a return to school to happen as quickly as possible.  Where students are off with a broken leg, for example, which is impacting their mobility but are otherwise ‘well’ then the school would seek to minimise the disruption to education.  This might include access to audio/video links to normal live t/tabled classes, recorded lessons or online video lessons developed by external providers such as Oak National Academy and/or preset work or tasks or subject specific software packages

In some exceptional cases, these circumstances might also include pupils whose attendance has been affected by a special educational need or disability (SEND) or a mental health issue. In these circumstances, and after the pupil’s absence from school has been established, schools should consider providing pupils with remote education on a case-by-case basis. This should be part of a plan to reintegrate back to school, and only when it is judged that providing remote education would not adversely affect the pupil’s return to school.

Provision of remote education should be made as a short-term solution allowing absent pupils to keep on track with their education and stay connected to their teachers and peers. Pupils with long-term medical conditions or any other physical or mental health needs affecting attendance may require additional support to continue their education.

Under section 19 of the Education Act 1996 (s.19 duty) local authorities are responsible for arranging suitable education for children of compulsory school age who, because of health or other reasons, would otherwise not receive a suitable education. Statutory guidance sets out that local authorities should provide education as soon as it is clear that the child will be away from school for 15 school days or more during the school year, whether consecutive or cumulative.