Home learning and other support (23 April 2020)

Thursday 23 April 2020

How’re you doing? Take a moment or so today to check-in on yourself to make you‘re doing ok. Just a couple of minutes of quiet down-time for you and you alone can make a big difference to how you cope in these tough times.

I know – the Ofsted judgement’s a joke. But stop for a moment and just think what you’re achieving right now: supporting your child with home learning tasks, managing to keep your household going, working from home maybe, coping with concerns about coronavirus for your loved ones… That’s no mean feat. If you can judge yourself to be ‘hanging in there’, then well done and be proud of yourself.

(And you’ve nearly got through another full week of home learning!)

We hope the change of timings for the home learning tasks going live on our website helped some of you plan to prepare a bit in advance.

Based on what you’ve told us, we’re making another change: we’re shifting the balance a bit in what we’re asking. We’ve heard that writing can be the most challenging task to engage your child and support him/her. We also wonder about the limited benefits of writing as a home learning task compared to practising reading and maths skills and learning more in foundation subjects. That’s why we’ve shifted the balance a little away from writing, based on your feedback. That’s not to say writing isn’t important – it really is – but it’s to recognise what are the best tasks for home learning.

And now, over to some Year 6 children across Sphere Federation…

Lleyton has pretended to be me here:

Hello parents. I hope you are happy. I have been planning work for the pupils – you are probably having more fun than me. I know it is hard for both of us but just keep trying your best. Here are some ideas for working at home:

  • Give your children breaks in between schoolwork
  • Giving them food
  • Giving them drinks
  • Giving them shelter
  • Making a routine
  • Allowing our children to communicate with friends
  • Take them on daily walks
  • Giving them fresh air

I know you and I are working really hard. You’re doing great. Keep it up!

Lleyton – there’s some really good advice – I do hope your own parents haven’t forgotten to give you food and drinks!

Mya’s written a poem called Ambition that might inspire us to get through lockdown:

I just want to achieve so that I believe

Just like everyone else

Doesn’t matter how hard it may seem

I have to be eager to be a believer

I will take the opportunity

To fit in with the community

I just want to achieve so that I believe