Remote Education
At Farington Primary School, we believe that children benefit most from attending school regularly and learning alongside their teachers and friends. Regular attendance is important for children's education, wellbeing and wider development.
Remote education is therefore not an alternative to attending school and will only be considered in limited circumstances where a child is unable to attend school but is well enough to continue learning.
The Department for Education's guidance states that remote education should be considered as a last resort, once it has been established that a child will be absent from school and is able to continue their education.
When might remote education be provided?
There may be limited circumstances where remote education is appropriate for an individual child. These may include situations where a child:
is recovering from a short-term infectious illness but is well enough to learn;
is preparing for or recovering from an operation;
is recovering from an injury where attending school may affect their recovery; or
has another exceptional circumstance where remote education has been agreed with the school.
Remote education will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the child's individual circumstances, their ability to learn remotely and any support they may require.
Where remote education is agreed, we will work with parents and carers and, where appropriate, other professionals to ensure that it supports the child's education and their return to school.
Remote education will not normally be provided for routine short-term absence or where a child is too unwell to learn. When a child is unwell, their health and recovery should take priority over completing schoolwork.
How will remote learning be provided?
Where remote education is appropriate, we will provide learning that is proportionate to the length and circumstances of the absence and, wherever possible, reflects the curriculum being taught in school.
This may include:
reading and phonics activities;
mathematics activities;
English and writing tasks;
activities linked to the wider curriculum;
opportunities to revisit and practise previously taught knowledge;
appropriate online learning resources;
recorded or live teaching where appropriate; and
independent activities, reading and assignments.
Remote education does not necessarily mean learning entirely online. Where appropriate, printed resources or other forms of communication may be used to ensure that children can continue to access their learning.
Supporting children with SEND
We recognise that some children with SEND may require additional support to access remote education.
Where remote education is appropriate, teachers will consider the child's individual needs and work with parents and carers to identify suitable approaches and reasonable adjustments.
Where a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, we will work with the local authority and relevant professionals to ensure that the appropriate statutory duties continue to be met.
What can parents and carers expect?
Parents and carers will be given clear information about the learning provided and how it can be accessed.
We recognise that parents and carers are not expected to replace the role of the teacher. The level of adult support required will depend on the age, stage of development and individual needs of the child.
We will take account of individual family circumstances and seek to ensure that remote education is manageable, meaningful and appropriate.
Parents and carers should contact school if they experience difficulties accessing the learning or if their child's circumstances change.
Online safety
Online safety remains an important part of remote education.
Where children are accessing learning online, parents and carers should support their children to use devices and online platforms safely and appropriately.
Our existing safeguarding and online safety expectations continue to apply when children are learning remotely.
Further information and advice for parents and carers can be found in our Online Safety section.
Supporting attendance and returning to school
Remote education should not become a replacement for school attendance.
Where remote education is provided because an individual child is temporarily unable to attend, we will continue to work with the child and their family to identify and address any barriers to attendance and support a successful return to school.
Any remote education arrangement will be reviewed regularly and will normally be time-limited.
Further support
If you have questions about remote education or your child's ability to access learning while temporarily unable to attend school, please contact the school office.
We will work with families to consider the most appropriate arrangements for each individual circumstance.