Remote Learning
Our Aim: to provide a blended curriculum offer that remains in line with our CORE curriculum. The Remote Learning Offer is available for families to access and engage in together.
At Heatherwood we have a range of offers to meet the needs of our learners. We have a self-isolation offer, zone closure, shielding offer and a site closure offer.
Self-isolation and/or Zone closure
During an isolation period, the Class Teacher will provide a personalised remote learning plan to all learners. This will be emailed directly to parents at the beginning of the isolation period and will last for the duration of the time. The Class Teacher will make contact with the family once a week to check how things are progressing and to provide any additional support in relation to the learning plan. We appreciate that all households are different and we will work with you to support your child’s continued learning
Shielding (Tier restrictions or during lockdown periods)
As a school we appreciate that some of our pupils will receive shielding letters in conjunction with Consultant/NHS advice. In this instance, we will provide individual learning plans fortnightly to support the acquisition and consolidation of skills. Remote Learning Lead will also make contact with the family once a week to check how things are progressing.
Site closure in the event of a national lockdown
Blended Learning Offer
As part of the latest lockdown, January 2021, we have enhanced our remote learning offer to include live online focused learning sessions. These sessions are delivered by a zone / class teacher each day from 10:45am. to 11:15am. facilitated by Microsoft Teams. Teachers have created a learning timetable which has been shared with parents. The live learning sessions provide an opportunity to maintain the link with school, to engage in familiar learning activities and also to provide opportunities for social interaction.
Post 16 have created a bespoke remote learning offer which links directly to the curriculum followed in school and learners at home join their peers via Microsoft Teams, in the classroom situation.
Alongside the online learning sessions, each learner receives a personalised learning plan which supports their medium term outcomes from their Education, Health and Care Plan. This plan spans a two-week period and is emailed or posted out on the Monday morning of the appropriate weeks. The remote learning follows the current topic that is being followed in school in order to ensure a blended approach and to reduce any gaps in knowledge when pupils return to school.
Through a combination of approaches, we will provide activities for up to an hour a day for our Early Years, Sensory (The ARC), Active (Green and Yellow Classes), Bridge (Red Class) and 6th Form learners.
Up to 1 hour 30 minutes for our Intentional Learners (Blue Class)
The Key’s bespoke remote learning will include at least 2 hours daily.
Teachers keep a register so participation can be monitored. Parents are invited to complete a recording sheet to give a greater depth of feedback and to help to inform future planning.
Safeguarding protocols are in place both for parents and teachers in relation to the delivery of the online sessions.
Resource packs can be collected from school to support learning at home. This includes specialist learning resources, accessibility and therapeutic equipment where required.
Regular contact by teachers will be made with parents to provide an opportunity to discuss their child’s learning.
Parent Agreement for Remote Learning Sessions
Student Agreement for Remote Learning Sessions
Wednesday 4th November
Family Activity Packs
Thinkuknow is an education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command. As part of their resources for safe online education , they have produced a range of family activities. Each of these family activity sheets have a selection of short conversation starters, practical tips and fun tasks to do as a family. Please take a look at them and use them as you feel is appropriate for your young people.
Family Activity Sheets
Monday 13th July
This is the last week of Home Learning Activities before we break up for the Summer. All the staff look forward to seeing everyone in September for the start of a wonderful year.
Wednesday 8th July
Live Music Now is a wonderful organisation with whom we have had a long standing link to. They have produced a fantastic website to continue to bring music to students of all needs whilst at home in the lock down period.
On their website you can find a set of inclusive, participatory concerts recently recorded by some of the young professional musicians that work with Live Music Now. The videos are inspired by their work in SEN settings and are designed to be inclusive for children with additional learning needs.
Please do explore all their videos and try to enjoy live music in your living room.
https://www.livemusicnow.org.uk/lmnathomeschools
Wednesday 24th June
MOONY'S SONG WRITING CHALLENGE
Join DARTs for Moony’s songwriting challenge, created especially for pupils attending Doncaster’s special schools!
Moony, is a favourite amongst pupils attending our All Aboard after schools clubs and family sessions. Moony has been a little bored, and he’s stuck for ideas of what to do in lockdown! He wanted to create a bespoke song to cheer us up and get us thinking about what we can do if we too get bored.
Below you will find his video challenge ‘What shall I do today?’
He needs your help and lots of your ideas of what to do today to help him finish the song!
Watch his video, suggest your ideas in the comments box on the weblink
https://wearedarts.org.uk/songwriting-with-moony/
or email them to sregan@thepoint.org.uk.
Watch out for your ideas, as Moony gives them a try and sings them back to you in his next video!
Friday 12th June
From now on, the homework activity pages will be updated on Friday afternoon and will be loaded ready for the following week by the start of Saturday. This will enable you to collect resources that you may need at the weekend ready for the following week.
Tuesday 2nd June
Thinkuknow internet safety
The Thinkuknow organisation have created some resources that you might find useful at this time. The sheets are pitched at mainstream age ranges but please use as appropriate during the lockdown period:
Activities for 4-5 yrs
Activities for 4-7 yrs
Activities for 5-7 yrs
Activities for 8-10yrs
Monday 1st June
Space related educational resources for home schooling
The UK Space Agency have created a set of resources in conjunction with the government.
If you’re looking for space related learning activities to try out at home during lockdown, have a look at some of the ideas. Some of them may be appropriate and of interest to some of our more able students.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/space-related-educational-resources-for-home-schooling
Friday 29th May
DARTS online and at home.
Our friends at Doncaster Arts have been busy putting some material online for all the young people they support in the special schools around Doncaster. Follow the link to loads of activities and Sing and Sign videos of some familiar songs for the festival this year. Unfortunately the festival cant take place this year but you can still enjoy the songs at home.
https://wearedarts.org.uk/children-young-people-with-disabilities/
Monday 11th May
TACPAC is a great session that many of our students love in school. We have found out that you can get a FREE Set 5 pack by purchasing using the CODE: 8Q7A3TXS. To get your own set to use at home follow the link:
https://tacpac.co.uk/product/set-5
Please note, the Tacpac resources are downloadable, streamed or accessed via their app. You don’t have to wait for the postman to deliver anything!
Each Set contains
- 6 videos taking you through each activity
- Streamed music that has been specifically composed for each activity
- TACPAC Activity Sheet
- Record Keeping Guide and Template.
- Access to the Tacpac Community Forum for all things Tacpac
By downloading the Tacpac APP, you can enjoy offline versions of the composed music for each activity, simply download and login to your account (which you create on purchase of the Set (s))
Wednesday 29th April
Shabang sessions online
Shabang music sessions in school have been a favourite for many years. We are happy to share that you can join in with sessions by the creators of these interactive music sessions online.
Please pop over to their Facebook page - @ShabangHuddersfield - where you can find details of what is happening. The timetable is published each week and we usually offer an 11am session with some quirky characters including Reg & Bet amongst others plus a 6.30pm slot so that you can Get Ready for Bed.
Hope you enjoy joining in.
Monday 27th April
We have a new set of activities and videos for you to watch and use this week. Please look in the separate class pages listed on the right hand side of this page. Have fun!
Tuesday 21st April
New Homework Activities
Welcome to the Summer Term, which will no doubt be very different to previous years. In an attempt to continue some normality, we will be sending home weekly activities for you to complete if you so wish.
This week our teachers have written a letter to our children which they have recorded on video too so that you can share it with all the young people directly.
We hope that you find the balance of work varied, fun but manageable. Check out the separate class pages for the weekly activities.
Monday 20th April
Explanation as to why school is closed using Makaton
Makaton with Lucinda hos recorded a Makaton social story that could help to explain why we are not in school right now. It is designed for Makaton users primarily but could be a talking point for many other young people at our school. Please have a look.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1252107284106313729
Tuesday 7th April
If you don’t already follow ‘Your Voice Doncaster (YourVoiceDonca1)’ please do as they are constantly keeping people updated by; retweeting Council information, sharing key messages from the Council and have great links with other services to keep you in the loop.
Also, starting from this week, they will be posting daily activity ideas at 11am, along with a challenge at 1pm. We hope that you get involved and enjoy the challenges, share your ideas and get involved.
Friday 3rd April
Pete Wells’ COVID19 sensory story
https://sensorystoriespodcast.com/covid-virus/?fbclid=IwAR0tQMtL_8ZqnYymDx-iOUWELjDURJcLCmH3Ho2nQq1PS3sSVfv-dVcsnkA
The Sensory Projects has project packs for inclusive learning
http://www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/free-educational-resources
http://www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/guides
https://sensorystoriespodcast.com/free-special-stories/
Move and Learn at Home
www.gonoodle.com/good-energy-at-home-kids-games-and-videos/
Cosmic Kids Yoga
https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga
Various links and resources for learning activities and ideas:
https://chatterpack.net/blogs/blog/list-of-online-resources-for-anyone-who-is-isolated-at-home
https://www.brainpop.com/
https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/covid19-school-closures
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources
https://do2learn.com/
Reading
https://www.storynory.com/
https://grover.concordia.ca/abra/en/
https://sightwords.com/
https://stories.audible.com/discovery
Maths
https://mathsframe.co.uk/
https://www.ncetm.org.uk/resources/50640
http://www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com/dictionary.html
Tuesday 31st March
Here are some more sensory activities that you could use to engage and entertain your young people.
Bath-time Activities
Outdoor Play
Tactile Awareness Activity Ideas
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
Michael Rosen, the writer of this much loved story, is unfortunately suffering with possible Coronavirus. On Monday, his family tweeted: “Michael is very poorly at the moment. Having spent a night in ICU, he is now doing ‘OK, stable, alert’ and was able to go to a ward yesterday.”
We wish him a speedy recovery and share these ideas so that our young people can enjoy one of their favourite stories.
Bear Hunt Ideas
Link to the youtube video:
https://youtu.be/0gyI6ykDwds
Wednesday 25th March
Twinkl: Sensory Resources and Sensory Ideas
Help children explore the world through touch, sound, smell, sight and taste with this collection of sensory resources for primary school children. Discover sensory maths and English ideas, or choose from our range of creative activities to help children learn through engaging the senses. Highly important for brain development, these sensory resources provide a great foundation for children to begin learning a variety of skills, such as language development, problem-solving, gross motor and social skills.
https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/specialeducationalneeds-sen/specialeducationalneeds-sen-sensory-and-physical-needs/sen-sensory
Monday 23rd March
Some of our students will be at home for some time and we would encourage you to try and keep them busy, entertained and engaged. To help with this we will be listing some activities that you could use and adapt to suit your young person and situation. There is no expectation that any of them have to be done, but are only suggested activities. More activities will follow.
- General sensory activities:
Sensory Activities
Bubbles
- Getting stuck in with Play Dough:
PLAY DOUGH
- Here are some websites with some creative ideas for activities that parents can do with their young people.
https://www.northshoremums.com.au/fun-home-activities-with-kids
https://parade.com/1009774/stephanieosmanski/things-to-do-with-kids-during-coronavirus-quarantine/
- Make a sensory story to share with your youngster and maybe bring back to school.
https://www.mencap.org.uk/blog/create-your-own-sensory-story-7-steps
