Providing remote education
At William Harding we expect all children to attend school every day the school is open unless the reason for the absence is unavoidable. More information on our approach with attendance can be found by clicking here.
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 should not be viewed as an equal alternative to attendance in school. For this reason, we 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. In such cases, remote education can have the benefit of allowing absent pupils to keep on track with their education and stay connected to their teachers and peers.
At William Harding we follow the Providing remote education Non-statutory guidance for schools, published by the DfE in January 2023, and consider the following circumstances where it might not be possible for pupils to receive in person education:
School closures or restrictions on attendance, where school access for pupils is restricted
Individual cases where a pupil is unable to attend school but is able to learn
School closures or restrictions on attendance
Providing remote education does not change the imperative to remain open or to reopen as soon as possible. We will make every effort to ensure pupils can be taught in person by attending school or if appropriate and possible, attending a safe alternative site. After we have explored all options to ensure the school remains open to all pupils, there may still be some exceptional occasions when the SLT, with support from the Governors, or the local authority decide that it is not possible to open safely, or where opening would contradict guidance from local or central government.
If restricting attendance for pupils is the only viable option, we will provide remote education to help pupils stay on track with the education they would normally receive.
At William Harding we have a plan in place that outlines any remote education procedures for teachers, parents, carers and pupils. This plan is used during emergency closures where the decision to close can often be made at short notice. In this instance we will communicate how to access remote via our normal channels.
Individual cases where a pupil is unable to attend school but is able to learn
There should only be limited circumstances where a pupil is unable to attend school but is able and well enough to continue their education remotely. These circumstances should only involve a short-term absence and might include: pupils recovering from short-term infectious illnesses, pupils preparing for or recovering from some operations, or pupils recovering from injuries where attendance might inhibit recovery. 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 which may involve asking to see information provided by medical professionals, William Harding School will consider providing pupils with remote education on a case-by-case basis. This will be part of a plan to reintegrate the pupil back to school, and only when it is judged that providing remote education would not adversely affect their 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 and we will work with other professionals, the local authority and the family to ensure this is in place.
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. In this instance we will work closely with them and any relevant medical professionals to ensure that children with health needs are fully supported at school, including putting in place individual healthcare (IHC) plans if appropriate. This may involve, for example, programmes of study that rely on a flexible approach which include agreed periods of remote education.
What we consider when providing remote education to individual pupils
When a pupil is absent, we will always seek to overcome the barriers to attendance and provide support for the pupil to attend, regularly reviewing any barriers in conjunction with the pupil, parents or carers, and if appropriate, a relevant medical professional. Remote education should not be viewed as an equal alternative to attendance in school, and providing remote education during a pupil's absence does not reduce the importance of bringing that absence to an end as soon as possible.
In the limited circumstances when we decide to use remote education for individual pupils when they are absent, the following will be considered:
Ensuring mutual agreement of remote education by school, parents or carers, potentially pupils, and if appropriate a relevant medical professional. If the pupil has an Education, Health and Care plan or has a social worker, the local authority should also be involved in the decision.
Where remote education is being used as part of a plan to reintegrate back to school, putting a formal arrangement in place to review its efficacy regularly, alongside identifying what other support and flexibilities can be put in place to help ease the pupil back to school at the earliest opportunity.
Setting a time limit within which the period of remote education provision should be reviewed, with the aim that the pupil returns to in person education with the required support in place to meet their needs.
What Remote Education we provide in the event of a school closure or for individual cases
If we do have to close the school or agree to provide remote education, the following will be uploaded to Dojo for children to complete. Please note that these will be uploaded as PowerPoint Presentations which children should be able to follow as per the normal lesson structure.
English lesson
Maths lesson
1 afternoon lesson
We also expect reading to take place and any further learning is required, this can be found on our website https://www.williamhardingschool.co.uk/how-to-support-learning-at-home-home-collaboration.
Please note we aim to have these uploaded on the day of closure by 10am for English & Maths, and by 12pm for the afternoon lesson.
Due to teacher workload and manageable expectations please note that work will be ticked only and anything submitted after 5pm will not be marked.