Learning and Teaching

Learning and teaching during the school closure.

In view of the rapidly changing national and international situation, please note that the information below may be subject to review and alteration at any time.

These are challenging times but we are committed to ensuring that your child’s education continues. To this end we are expecting your child to follow their timetable during term time; tasks will be set on Firefly. Some lessons, particularly in Years 10 – 13 may be delivered via Microsoft Teams; we would ask that pupils are provided with earphones for these sessions. It is important that your child has a space to work in, and access to the internet via a laptop or PC for part of each day. Work should be submitted via school email or via Firefly. If your child is emailing written work to colleagues please ensure that they copy this into the body of the email. Please note that further information relating to Year 11 pupils will follow from Cate Mallalieu – Needle (Head of Sixth Form) in due course.

We need to work with you to support your child in continuing their learning. Should they complete all tasks set, reading lists, podcasts and film suggestions will be added to the subject pages of Firefly; this work is underway. Please check that they are marking tasks as ‘complete’ on Firefly and submitting work as requested.

Regular feedback will be given on pupils’ work and grades and reports will continue in the usual way; please note that there may be times when colleagues are unwell and many have children or elderly relatives to support, so please allow appropriate time for responses to emails.

We hope to arrange times for tutor groups to meet with their tutors and for pupils to attend a weekly Meeting for Worship via Microsoft Teams. The Sibford community is close knit and we are keen to support one another as we enter this difficult period.

The following are the expectations of pupils during this time, please discuss them with your child:

• Pupils should follow their usual school timetable and check Firefly for the tasks set. Work must be submitted as requested by the teacher. If work is being emailed, this should be in the ‘body’ of the email not as an attachment.
• Pupils should make sure they have a space to work in, away from distractions.
• Pupils should adhere to the safeguarding guidelines issued by Tracy Knowles. As attached.
• Microsoft Teams is a learning tool and should not be used for ‘socialising’. School rules apply to communications via Teams and email.

To download Microsoft Teams for lesson delivery, pupils should visit: www.office.com and login in with their usual school login information; an online Microsoft Teams program will be available in the list of apps.

Please do not hesitate to contact me, your child’s tutor or any member of staff in the usual way during this time.

In Friendship
Anna Jo Mathers
Assistant Head, Learning and Teaching
[email protected]