Home Learning
Blythdale – Bubble 1
Dear Parents/Carers,
As you are aware, The Dales School is having to limit the number of children attending school each day to ensure the necessary health and safety measures are in place for both children and staff, to keep everyone as safe as possible. As a result, we are offering our children at home the opportunity to access high quality virtual teaching and learning.
This will take place on the following platforms:
- Zoom/Google classroom
- Tapestry
- Posted resources (at families request)
There are six key elements of our home learning offer:
- Home learning packs
- Personalised targets linked to EHCP, basic skills and life skills
- Activity suggestions
- Whole group and 1:1 face to face zoom sessions
- OT resources and activities
- Online learning sessions
Home learning will be used to support the transition between school and home and will encourage a healthy routine when the children are not in school. We will support this transition with visual resources.
Virtual home learning:
Home learning days will begin with an upload of a Bucket Time session for your child onto Tapestry for them to watch. We understand the nature of the children’s needs means they would find it difficult to interact with or respond to live Zoom calls, therefore we have made a decision as a team to upload our content and sessions on Tapestry or via email for you to access as and when you feel your child is able.
There will be daily uploads of a topic themed activity which is specific for your child’s level of learning. If you complete this with your child please upload a photo so we can see!
The day will end with an upload of a story with a familiar member of staff. We believe it is important for the children to still be able to see and hear us in order to maintain the relationships they have made, and also to make the transition back into school smoother. To also support this, at 2pm every Friday each staff team will lead a class zoom call. This may be a story, an activity or a Rhyme Time.
We ask that you ensure that an adult is in the same room as your child whilst they are on the zoom call, this is to safeguard both staff and children.
Throughout the day extra videos will be added. These may be something which is aimed at your child, such as a short phonics session, or a video demonstration of how to use some of the resources that we have made available to you, such as our visuals and Now and Next boards.
If you watch or access a video or any content that we put on, we are asking if you could please click the ‘like’ button on Tapestry, so that we know that you have seen it and we can monitor activity and troubleshoot issues.
Teachers have created life skills documents which include a range of targets that we aimed to work on with your children in school this half term. Teachers have added suggested activities to these targets for you to work on at home. This will form the bulk of the work you do with your child, and we are happy to support this as much as we can with video demonstrations, supporting with visuals or sending things home. We are here for you- you can let us know exactly what you need to make your time at home with your child easier for them and for you. Just let us know what you need and we can make things, send items home or even just be at the end of the phone for a chat.
If you are still having difficulties accessing Tapestry then please let us know as soon as possible.
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at school on 01670 352556 or by emailing sarah.harris@thedales.northumberland.sch.uk and your email will be forwarded to the relevant member of the home learning team.
Thank you for your continued support – we very much appreciate it at this very difficult time.
