The Department for Education has told schools what it expects them to deliver in remote learning during the new national lockdown.
Prime minister Boris Johnson announced last night that schools were closing today to most pupils to help curb the spread of Covid-19.
Schools were then sent updated guidance from the DfE after 10.30pm last night setting out what it expects schools to provide for pupils who are not attending lessons.
Schools are remaining open to vulnerable pupils and those of critical workers.
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Last year the government created a new legal expectation on schools to provide remote learning for pupils who are not in schools.
Coronavirus: New guidance for online learning
The guidance for the latest national lockdown sets out the following expectations for remote learning.
Schools and teachers are expected to:
- Set assignments so that pupils have meaningful and ambitious work each day in a number of different subjects.
- Primary schools should ensure pupils have three hours’ work a day, on average, across the cohort.
- Secondary schools should ensure students have four hours’ work a day, with more for those working towards formal qualifications this year.
- Provide frequent, clear explanations of new content, delivered by a teacher or through high-quality curriculum resources or videos.
- Have systems for checking, at least weekly, whether pupils are engaging with their work, and inform parents immediately where engagement is a concern.
- Gauge how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum using questions and other suitable tasks.
- Provide feedback, at least weekly, using “digitally facilitated or whole-class feedback where appropriate”.
- Enable teachers to adjust the pace or difficulty of what is being taught in response to questions or assessments, including, where necessary, revising material or simplifying explanations to ensure pupils’ understanding.
