The following information provides clear guidance to pupils, parents and carers about what to expect from Online Learning at Dartford Primary Academy in the event of a whole school closure.
Logging In
At Dartford Primary Academy we use a combination of Google Classroom, Class Dojo and Tapestry to provide home learning. We have found that this is the most effective way to share tasks with you and your children, but more importantly, it allows your children to share their learning experiences and outcomes to be celebrated and praised by their teachers.
We offer home learning through sharing your children’s ‘Virtual Classroom’ each day. This is a familiar launching point for the children as it is what we use in the classroom on an everyday basis. You will find that links to lessons, video links and resources that you might need can all be accessed from this one starting point. This allows us to make sure that the curriculum that we teach remotely is in line with that taught in school and it also provides support to add structure to your day. Explanatory videos will be linked where required, delivered either by class teachers or through specific external educational providers.
An explanation as to how to access remote learning at Dartford Primary Academy can be found by following below.
Daily Registration
The first task, each day during any period of home learning, is to sign in via the registration question set in the Google Classroom – this will help us to ensure that there is engagement with learning activities. Alternative arrangements are in place for registering engagement in the EYFS and Nursery who will register through Tapestry. The academy’s inclusion team will telephone families where registration has not taken place over a period of two consecutive days.
The link to work will be added to Class Dojo every day by 09:00. The approximate timings for each activity are shown below. Keeping to these timings as much as you can will spread the load for the day and your children should not feel overworked.
Subject
KS1
Lower KS2
Upper KS2
Reading
25 mins
40 mins
40 mins
English
25 mins
45 mins
1 hour
Maths
40 mins
45 mins
1 hour
Hand-
writing
10 mins
20 mins
20 mins
Spellings / Phonics
20 mins
30 mins
30 mins
IB Learning /Other
1 hour
1 hour
1 hour
Total
3 hour
4 hour
4 hours 30 mins
As parents, you are in the best position to make a judgement on what you consider to be too much or too little school work for your children. Ultimately, it is for you to decide as a family and we understand that some children thrive on being given work at home, whilst for others, it may cause undue pressure. Please try not to worry about getting through everything that is set for your children in a day and try not to compare the work that your child completes with the work of others. It is not our aim to cause any undue anxiety at what is already a time of greater stress at home.
Accessing Remote Learning
As part of our blended learning strategy, teachers will deliver a range of approaches that teach remotely, including the following;
- Pre-recorded lessons
- Live sessions
- Google slide presentations
- Websites supporting the teaching of specific objects, including video clips or sequences
Google Meets
During their period of isolation, opportunities for meeting with the teacher and their peers (via Google Meet) will be set up to enable children to have some opportunity for live interaction.
Children are expected to use our Google Meet etiquette to ensure that the live interactions are of high quality for all.
Our expectations of behaviour during periods of Remote Learning
Handing Work In
Pupils should hand their work in virtually by posting it to Class Dojo or through Google Classroom. It gives us the opportunity to track levels of engagement and identify where we may need to contact parents to offer support.
Feedback/Marking
Where possible, work will be set to allow pupils to work independently, but within current circumstances, praise and encouragement from home will play a key factor to ensure children are engaged. Staff members will check in twice a day at 10:00 and 14:00 to answer questions on any difficulties in accessing the work.
Teachers will feedback on pupils’ work with detail at least once a day and review all other work through Class Dojo and Google Classroom. Staff will also provide feedback through live sessions and pre-recorded lessons.
We recognise that some pupils, for example, those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), may not be able to access remote education without further support. As well as work being differentiated by year group, an Inclusion Virtual Classroom is available for further support and guidance as advised by the school SenCo.
Where individual pupils need to self-isolate due to having been in close contact with a positive case or are waiting for the result of a Covid test, learning will still be accessed in the same way through Google Classroom and Class Dojo as indicated above.
Additional Learning Opportunities
DPA recognises the importance of having regular breaks, even more so with such change of routines. Exercise and well being strategies are carefully incorporated into the curriculum to encourage stimulation and interaction. Regular information and guides are posted to the DPA Class Dojo pages.
Please click here to Login to Class Dojo for further information
For further curriculum information and support please click on our subject tabs found below.
Getting In Contact
Specific questions concerning learning can be addressed by contacting your class teacher through your child’s class page on Class Dojo. Staff will respond to your queries during the normal school working hours of 9:00 – 15:15 Monday to Friday. All communication with regard to home learning should be sent via Class Dojo in the first instance, however, the academy office is also able to answer further enquiries. Please contact the office at office@dartfordprimary.org.uk.
At these difficult times we appreciate that families may need extra support in a number of ways. Should you need any additional support, please contact a member of our inclusion team:
- Mr. Declan Filsell – SENCO (Declan.Filsell@dartfordprimary.org.uk)
- Ms Helen Day – FLO (07483168314)
- Mrs. Anna Reid – FLO (07710859353)