Our Remote Education Offer (January 2021)

Nacro work with learners aged 14-16 yrs, 16-19 yrs, and adult learners across 14 Centres.

What will we be offering ?

Nacro remote education will be offering a blended approach of live remote lessons, personalised reviews via video or phone call, and hard-copy workbooks and packs. We will be teaching the same curriculum as normal with some adaptions around practical elements of courses and a tailored approach to meet needs of some learners who have particular needs.

What can you do to support learning ?

Regular communication is a key part of our approach and we urge this to be two-way to ensure progress of our learners. Please stay in touch and meet deadlines for returned work.

Actions that can be taken to support learning include the following:

Routine: Get up and dressed, have breakfast as if attending the Centre and prepare yourself for learning

Organisation: Keep your folders, notes, pens/pencils, equipment altogether and in a safe place – a box or bag is a good idea

Place: Try and find a quiet place to learn and do your work, preferably with a table and chair – we know this may be hard to do and if our Centres are open you can attend if you are struggling to find space and support

Be prepared: Know the timetable and what you are doing each day, and if you have access to a device get it ready to log on, check you have battery or socket, use to join to lessons or use to work on or for research

Ask for help: Communication is key to your success – please do not hesitate to ask for direction, help, guidance and feedback.

How will teaching and learning work ?

Live remote teaching will be available via Microsoft Teams across our Centres and where this is not available via other tested video-conferencing systems. A timetable of live remote lessons and alternative modes of learning will be made available to all learners. Learners may also be set tasks using Nacro’s Virtual Learning Environment (Moodle) and/or external platforms designed to support subject delivery. These might for example include digital tools such BKSB, e-Assessor assessment packages or Learning Curve course materials.

What if I don’t have a laptop or broadband and my phone isn’t good enough to use ?

Not all teaching and learning will take place using live sessions, alternative options will be available and especially for those who do not have devices or broadband capacity available at home. We are looking to provide support of devices and data to students who do not have access to the internet or digital equipment in order to complete their planned hours of delivery through our own resources, and through that which is to be provided by DfE, as announced today 14^th January 2020.

We currently have some limited access to MiFi devices (data cards), so that learners without an Internet connection can access on-line resources. Please enquire if this would be of benefit to you.

Can I attend the Centre?

Learners who are struggling at home can attend one of Centres – most of these are open at the current time and this includes those who do not have support or a device. These learners and those who need support can legally attend during the lockdown period.

In the meantime, support will include work-packs being sent out and collected in, utilisation of smart phones for access to materials and for communication, and weekly contact made to complete the learner Personal Development Progress reviews to capture students’ welfare needs and academic progress.

Apprentices

We will continue to communicate via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, set work and assess learners’ skills, primarily by means of OneFile. We may also set interactive tasks using the Moodle Virtual Learning Environment and external platforms, as deemed appropriate by the tutor.

How can I catch up on missed learning and lessons in English and maths ?

Aiming High Catch –up scheme for English and maths

We are launching an on-line catch up scheme called Aiming High for a number of our 16-19 year olds students delivered by a specialist agency, under our supervision. Although delivered through video-link, sessions will also be available in our Centres. Please contact us for more details to see if you are eligible for this scheme.

What do we expect of you in live lessons?

Expectations of learners in live lessons

We very much welcome you to live lessons and recognise they are different. However, the same rules apply as in class in the Centre.

1. Attendance: If and when we close Learning Centres due to COVID-19 restrictions all lessons will continue at the same time, but via Moodle and Microsoft-Teams, or through work packs as directed.

• Attendance for work completed offline from home will be recorded on the teachers attendance tracker and EBS in the same way. Your teacher will be in touch will you to confirm work completed against timetabled hours and this will be evidenced in the Personal Development Review
  • Joining and participating in the live lesson will automatically log learner attendance in Microsoft-Teams or Moodle.
  • Learners must attend and remain online throughout each lesson. Learners may be set independent learning tasks but must re-join the lesson at the pre-agreed time.
  • All English and Maths lessons must still be attended via Microsoft-Teams, as directed.

2. Instructions: All instructions should be listened to and read carefully so that all work can be evidenced and located easily.
3. Deadlines: Deadlines will still exist and must be met promptly, however learners’ individual situations will be considered. Please speak with your teacher.
4. Assessment: learners work will continue to be assessed in line with Nacro’s Assessment Policy. Learners will receive their work back marked and with feedback within a 2 week timeframe. A weekly Personal Development Review will take place to assess your progress and for learners to provide feedback. Teachers are also building formative assessment and feedback into their teaching approach through a mixture of quizzes, digital tools and modelling of good answers. These will help teachers understand how pupils are achieving.
5. Environment: Learners must try to be in an appropriate location for remote learning – we know this might be difficult, but learners should try to find a quiet location or wear headphones and be sitting as they normally would in a classroom situation.
6. Behaviour: Our learners generally have very good behaviours for learning. This should be upheld on the video calls. Learners will need to dress and behave appropriately. Learners will be asked to leave the lessons as they would in class if the rules are not respected. Learners are asked to please comply with the conduct rules as if in class – although it may be tempting in the current and unusual circumstances, smoking, vaping or eating is not acceptable during the lesson.

What if I am afraid that others will pick on me in live lessons?

Please be aware:

We take the well-being and care of our students very seriously. 

• Safeguarding of students is important at this time and in especially in these circumstances. We request that students must not photograph or record any section of the lesson under any circumstances.
• Totton students are responsible for checking the Teams posts each morning in time to then attend any live lessons and complete all set work.
• As is the case in all of our Centres and at Totton, bullying and harassment behaviours are unacceptable and will result in disciplinary action. Extreme cases will be reported to the appropriate authority.
• Please be aware that all chats are recorded in the admin. controls and can be accessed should evidence be needed. Chats may also be monitored in real time by artificial intelligence.
• Please be aware that all borrowed equipment is monitored and thus the property of Nacro.
• The Acceptable Usage Policy must still be abided by – your activity can be seen and and we will be in contact if this is breached.

Arrangements for learners requiring specialist facilities

Where Learning Centres have been risk-assessed and judged safe to open, we will be providing some access to sites for learners to access specialist facilities. These include access to specialist hardware and software, but also simulated workplaces such as garages and salons. Learners will be notified when these spaces and resources are available and should only attend when notified to do so. We await arrangements on external assessments and exams and will notify of arrangements as soon as this is known.

Support for learners with Special Educational Needs

As per DfE guidance, support for SEND learners is provided on a bespoke basis in order to best meet the needs of the individual. Where it is judged safe to do so, we will continue to welcome SEND and other vulnerable learners into Nacro Centres. Tailored support is available to these learners to ensure learning can continue in the best possible way.

In our specialist unit at Totton, SEND teachers have access to a Moodle VLE and a learning technologist who can create bespoke accessible interactive tasks on request. SEND teachers also have access to Microsoft Teams for direct video/audio/text communication. Where a high-tech solution is deemed in the opinion of teaching staff with a holistic knowledge of learners and the context in which they work to be less than optimal, staff will take a blended or low-tech approach. This might involve telephone tutorials, recommended television and/or paper-based work packs.

How will we know that this strategy is working?

We will be monitoring the engagement of each of our learners and providing feedback on how they are engaging with the methods in place. Progress reviews will continue to be carried out as normal.

Please contact us on the email addresses below if you need further information or have questions:

learnersupport@nacro.org.uk for Centres

info@tottoncollege.ac.uk for Totton College