Keep calm and carry on reaping the benefits of remote learning

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant devastation for thousands of families and stressful situations for parents and it is easy to focus on the negative impact on children’s education.

Whilst we at St Philip Howard are desperate to get the students back into school full time, their buzz and enthusiasm around the school site is infectious.

On reflection there are a number of positives that have come from lockdown and remote learning.

Although it would be preferable to speak to students face-to-face, online interventions that take place after online lessons with the subject teacher, have really helped us to see areas where students are struggling.

The focused space of the 2:1 interventions mean we can go at the student’s own pace, and continually pause to check their understanding in a way that cannot always be done in ‘real time’ in the classroom.

Subject staff have also identified the benefits of giving more project-based work to certain year groups, which has encouraged their creativity and freedom without the limits of specifications andtime limits.

This has shown an increase in the students’ love of the subject and opened up more applications of the subject in a wider context leading to them being more expressive, confident and open with their learning.

Our students have been encouraged to up-skill themselves in areas that interest them away from their academic studies.

These ‘passion projects’ have ranged from podcasts, first aid qualifications, the creation of a combustion engine from scratch, baking, learning Mackaton, completing the Couch to 5k programme, upcycled fashion accessories, puppy training to name but a few.

As part of our pastoral care, form tutors have phoned home and spoken to all our students each fortnight to act as a check in and to offer reassurance and guidance to their pupils and their families.

Staff have spoken about how these have strengthened their relationships with parents and families of their students.

This partnership between home and school is crucial and more prevalent in these current circumstances.

Time has been of huge benefit to both students and staff.

Time to pray, reflect and spend time with their family.

Students have had opportunity to look and learn about the world around us, to study it, ask questions, understand and experience it in a completely new way, looking at the detail.

We honestly believe and hope that our young people have benefited from learning new life skills.

This generation will show a resilience resulting from the lockdown situation that was thrust upon them which will equip them for modern and working life.

We hope that we will look back in years to come with pride and appreciation of how we’ve come together, cared for one another and embraced new opportunities.