Measures to ensure pupils engage with home learning
Perth and Kinross Council has said continuing education and supporting its young people is a“key priority”.
The majority of pupils have been learning from home since January 11.
And Perth and Kinross Council has told the Perthshire Advertiser it has arrangements in place to ensure pupils are both attending and engaging with learning.
A Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “Continuing education and support for our children and young people through our schools and during periods of home learning remains a key priority for Perth and Kinross Council.
“We have arrangements in place to monitor and record both attendance and engagement in learning.
“Learning at home consists of a mixture of planned online and offline learning activities and experiences.
“All our schools have arrangements in place to ensure that both regular contact is made with their pupils, and appropriate steps taken where any issues with engagement are identified, to best support our children, young people and their families during the current lockdown.
“Parents/carers can continue to contact their child’s school through normal channels if they are unable to undertake home learning for whatever reason.”
Meanwhile, a Perthshire school that has been praised for its approach by parents, has revealed how the experience of the first lockdown is helping this time around.
Crieff High School head teacher John Donnelly explained the school had made three “important changes” to contingency planning.
He said: “The first of these is that our planning for this current lockdown includes young people following their school timetable.
“Parents and carers requested that we introduce this to provide our young people with greater structure to their day.
“Secondly, we are moving towards one online platform to streamline access for pupils and parents and carers to retain an overview of workload.
“This has been supplemented with the introduction of weekly year group overviews that families will have received on Friday.
“Lastly, young people explained that their best learning last time came when there was greater interaction with their peers and their teachers.
“Therefore, our teaching staff have planned for live-time learning and teaching episodes.
“It is clear to see after only the first two days of remote learning that pupil engagement is exceptionally positive and the quality of experience has improved compared to last time.
“In saying that, the views of our community were positive about our responsive approach to the March lockdown.
“Our teachers have been great and have really hit the ground running this term.”
Mr Donnelly continued: “At Crieff High School we highly value the views of our school community and we respond to these in order to best support our young people.
“I am confident that we are prepared for the current online learning situation with a high quality provision and I ask that if any young person or family member requires support, please do get in touch with us.”