Daily Routines

•    Develop a routine for the school day – start the day with the pastoral check in at 9am with your child’s form tutor.
•    Consider using a visual timetable of your child’s lessons, with timings and subjects on it.
•    Set up a designated workstation with your child’s laptop and equipment so that they have everything to hand.
•    Encourage your child to have a movement break away from the screen in between lessons – lesson times are slightly shorter to allow for this and to manage screen time for students and teachers.
•    Encourage your child to take part in our new enrichment offer which focusses on creative activities, physical exercise, personal development and emotional wellbeing.

 

Asking for Help

•    Your child can use the chat box during the lesson to ask a question and get help from the teacher.
•    The teachers will be using quizzes, raised hands and the chat box to assess any misconceptions during the lesson.
•    Upload your child’s work into the chat box for immediate teacher feedback.
•    Your child can email their teacher if they need more help or they are uncomfortable having a public conversation – you can also email staff directly from your child’s email address. The email addresses are on our website.
•    Discuss with your child how they learn best and what they find difficult, so that you can identify useful strategies together. Encourage them to be independent by talking about how they approach getting ‘stuck’ or not understanding something.
•    The files section has all of the lesson resources and power points – you can review lessons after the live teaching to go over any new knowledge, or preview the content for the next lesson
•    There are support guides for all aspects of Microsoft Teams on the website to help you navigate the platform.

 

Managing Anxiety and Wellbeing

•    We recognise that learning at home can be a challenge, and we are all adapting. Focus on the positive achievements of your child, and encourage a growth mind set where they overcome challenges and difficulties.
•    It is normal to feel anxious when we have to manage change during a global pandemic. Talk to your child about their feelings and suggest ways to cope with and contain their anxiety.
•    Encourage your child to maintain their friendships virtually so that they don’t feel socially isolated.
•    Ask your child’s Year Leader for a pastoral check in and they will offer support.
•    Support your child to ring the Young Person’s Helpline on 08081964147 to access support from trained mental health professionals
•    We can refer your child for virtual support around healthy relationships and their emotional wellbeing – ask your Year Leader to do this for you.