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Monday 4th May 2020Dear Parents,Thank you for the positive messages we have received regarding the learning activities being provided through our website, including your appreciation of the links to wider provision being offered through various channels and the growing bank of video tutorials. Staff at Charlton are working hard to ensure our children have access to suitable learning resources and we love seeing the work and achievements from the children. Please do continue to send us photos or similar - it makes a big difference to us and we can continue to celebrate them on our Twitter page.One of the most common queries from parents and staff has been around the possible use of video conferencing from the teachers’ homes, directly to children in their homes. After much consideration, we have made the decision that we do not intend to use ‘live streaming’ of lessons remotely, or teachers video conferencing with children in their class. Although there were many factors to consider, the key rationale behind this decision is based on the factors outlined below:Safeguarding - Although we have looked at ‘live streaming’ and ‘video conferencing’ provided by other establishments, we believe that there is a real safeguarding implication with live video streamed directly into children’s homes. We cannot be assured of the adult supervision needed to make sure this approach is effective, and the legal advice from our solicitors is that this sort of communication should only be offered if two members of teaching staff are available to participate in each session. That would be very difficult to achieve at this moment in time. (Please note that any external on-line workshop or ‘live’ streamed event signposted by us is not covered under our safeguarding procedures. The age suitability and decision to access any external content is that of the parents in their home)Research and Best practice – Although there may well be a visual appeal to live remote lessons or video conferencing, educational research indicates that the most effective way to support remote learning at home, and at this current time, is through the provision of good quality learning resources in a range of styles and across a range of subjects, coupled with clear explanations as to the learning intention. As the remote learning being provided becomes more weighted toward new learning, we will endeavour to ensure that clear explanations are included which help build on previous learning.Parental engagement is key to promoting effective home learning. This includes creating a routine that works for you and your home circumstances. This might be through a ‘checklist’ that breaks down the day into manageable tasks, like reading in a quiet space, practicing a maths skill, writing to friend or relative and spending time on a creative hobby.Access to IT – a further consideration is that not all families have the same level of access and facilities at home. Along a similar theme, our teaching staff also have very different home circumstances; not all of which would be conducive to the delivery of ‘live’ streamed lessons/video calls.So, for the time being, we will continue to focus on providing for those children still attending school and in providing good quality learning materials and resources to those learning at home. We will continue to review the means of communication between parents and school. We have been impressed by the level of engagement from families through the new year group emails, however, we encourage staff to be vigilant of the ‘school day’ times to work in. Teachers have started to contact our most vulnerable families via a telephone call, and this is extending further to other families. Please be patient, as we have already mentioned, our teachers have varying home circumstances that could mean telephone calls could only be possible on the days they have been timetabled to be in school. We have purposely taken the decision not to be overly prescriptive in our approach and to continue offering and signposting learning and discovery across a wide range of topics.Linked to the above your child/ren might be interested in these forthcoming online workshops for primary school children:Apollo 11 Storytelling (ages 5-11), Tuesday 12 May 10:30: This storytelling virtual workshop celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The session will contain a story reading, time for questions and answers, and some suggestions for extra activities for children to do. This will last approximately 45 minutes. To sign up, please visit: Catching (ages 7-11), Tuesday 19 May 10:30: This workshop provides an introduction to clouds, how clouds are formed and different cloud types. Children can learn about our scientists that study clouds, and have a go at making their own cloud picture using household objects. This will last approximately 30 minutes. To sign up, please visit: summary, in response to the unprecedented closure of schools, we have committed to keeping Charlton open for Key Workers and for those children whereby being in school is an essential need, whilst continuing to produce learning packages designed and produced by your child’s class teacher to support home learning.Kind regards,Michelle RookeHead of SchoolOn the next page - Top Tips to Support Reading at HomeTop Tips to Support Reading at HomeShared reading is a great way to develop children’s language and communication and to boost their reading skills. Regular reading routines can offer lots of opportunities for learning during school closures.Concentrate on reading quality (it isn’t all about reading lots!)Don’t worry too much about the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of reading each day. Books are great—but leaflets, comics, recipes and instructions on a webpage can all be great too. Following a recipe to make some cupcakes is valuable reading. Be on the lookout for reading, wherever it is!Ask your child lots 2 of questionsAll reading matters. Shared reading is about ‘reading with’, not just ‘reading to’ (even for older children). So, ask lots of ‘Wh’ questions, such as Who? What? When? Where? Why? Try them when talking about books: for example, ‘what do you think Harry is feeling?’Ask your child to make predictions about what they have readIf it is a book, look at the front cover—or the last chapter—and talk about what might happen next. Look for clues in the book and be a reading detective! For example, ‘can you see the bear on the front cover? Where do you think he will go?’Ask your child to summarise what they have readWhen you’ve finished reading, talk about what happened. Acting out the things that happened in the story or describing the big idea of a chapter is really fun and maximises learning. For example, ‘can you remember all the things that happened on the bear hunt?’Ask your child to write about what they have readWrite, or draw pictures, from anything you’ve read! Big writing and pictures are even more fun. For example, use an old roll of wallpaper to make a treasure map with clues from the stories you’ve read together.Read and discuss reading with friends or familyMake books a part of the family. Encourage your child to share them with a relative or friend, over a video call. Laugh about them when you are making meals together. For example, ‘I hope the tiger doesn’t come to tea today!’Maintain the motivation to readTalk about the joy of reading whenever you can. Your child is on an amazing journey to becoming a reader. Put them in the driving seat and have fun on the way! For example, ‘choose your favourite story for bedtime tonight.’ ................
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