We’ll keep today’s update a short one…
Yesterday, we published an article about ways to support your child.
The article included various links to advice to support your child’s wellbeing during these unsettling times. Do take a look, and especially monitor what they’re accessing online because some children are talking about the coronavirus pandemic in ways which aren’t helping at all (and this is based on misinformation (mistakes) and disinformation (deliberate lies) that children (and adults!) are reading online.
We also included a list of online resources if your child is at home, or if schools are closed. A few more resources to consider at home are…
Phonics
PhonicsPlay is now free to access with immediate effect – use the log-in details provided on their homepage. (This company has hurried forward a new site to use, but there may be broken links and glitches: http://www.new.phonicsplay.co.uk/ ) Many younger children will be very familiar with this resource, and this will help to keep that reassuring connection with learning in school.
Science
The Science Museum Group have some fantastic experiments to try out at home.
Physical activity
The imovement platform has resources that will support you and your child at home. New resources will be added on a daily basis, and will include Quick Blasts, Active Blasts and Additional Activities to support Maths and Literacy.
Today’s daily update from the government doesn’t contain a lot of new information, and does say that Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education, will make a statement to the House of Commons at 5pm – we can expect more news later, perhaps. The update does tell us more about the COVID-19 Emergency Bill, which is to be published later this week. The Bill will include:
- a power to remove or relax some requirements around education and childcare legislation in order to help these institutions run effectively in the event of an emergency
- a power to require schools, further education and childcare settings to stay open or re-open, operate in ways to support continued education and childcare such as enable pupils / students to attend different premises, to enhance resilience of childcare and education sector
These two points might mean schools shifting focus to providing childcare to those parents who most need it, but please note that nothing is confirmed at this stage.