Remote learning at Moreton First

Catherine Ford, Head of Moreton First, looks at how schools have adapted to the challenges of the Covid 19 crisis...

In March this year the world of education was tipped on its head. Head teachers were instructed to close their schools and thus began a new and uncharted era in schooling – for staff and children – beyond the school gates in cyberspace.

Initially, some teachers of Prep aged pupils felt they were walking towards cloud-covered terrain and they felt unsure of where to place their next foot step. Yet within days the mist began to clear and pathways of new and exciting possibilities came into view.

As the effects of the Covid 19 crisis rippled throughout society, the analogy of the national war effort, as witnessed during World War II, has been used to its fullest. Others began to decorate streets with bunting and sing of the White Cliffs of Dover, as teachers and families prepared to embrace the new form of schooling. However, bluebirds, traditionally a symbol sign of future happiness and joy, were in sight!

As the Easter holidays came to an end, kitchen tables around the country were transformed to provide office space for parents and classrooms for siblings, in many cases complete with science labs, food technology areas and music practice spaces. Parents began to juggle the demands of their own work schedules with home schooling. A new dialogue emerged as parents, pupils and teachers arranged ‘to zoom’, to meet over Teams, upload, download and compare the pedagogical benefits of SeeSaw, Class DoJo and Firefly.

As we kept calm and carried on, something remarkable transpired as educators and pupils moved into a new phase of confidence. The possibilities this unexpected change in the mode of schooling could offer brought excitement and fresh opportunities. Parents tell us they have enjoyed seeing how their child learns and following along with their teachers’ lessons. Teachers’ confidence grew, as did their digital skills and those of their pupils. Even those teachers who were already digital experts saw new opportunities for computer-based learning.

Parents of many children of Prep age commented they saw an increased independence and commitment in their children’s learning. No longer able to follow their classmates from lesson to lesson they had to prepare their kitchen table work station for the day’s lessons. At Moreton First, regular parental questionnaires reported that parents felt that their children became more organised and took greater responsibility for their day’s learning. Parents’ feedback praised the variety and quality of lessons that they witnessed taking place daily, on and off-screen.

Furthermore, parents reported that skills of time management developed in older children. As distractions were limited, pupils were more able to prioritise their commitments. Many Moreton First parents commented that their children had learned to balance completing expected assignments with time to relax and play outdoors.

Nationally, parents have reported that it has been an enlightening time, as they have seen their children in a new way. Trying to engage their children in lesson content has been both a challenge and a joy. Many parents have sent messages of support to their child’s teachers which have been so appreciated at this time. This has been true at Moreton First where one parent described this period as, ‘an unexpected gift and an opportunity to witness first hand how my own child learns.’

Several more parents reported a sense of fascination as they witnessed differences in the way siblings approach learning and assimilate information.

An interesting observation by teachers of Year 1 and Year 2 is that the youngest children have begun to develop greater confidence in recording their work. Moreton First’s Music and Drama tasks are set requiring a short video response. Those videos that were returned show even the youngest children fully engaged in creative sketches, oblivious of the camera. We have found that this new style of learning and responding to tasks could reduce shyness for performing in front of others. Teachers have been delighted to witness some children have offered contributions more confidently in online lessons, perhaps because they feel emboldened by having a direct, private, link to the teacher. The link between shyness and pupils’ social anxiety in classrooms has been frequently explored in educational research and possibly communication through a screen may assist in supporting some children in developing skills of confidence that could transfer to the classroom later.

The Covid 19 crisis has united teachers, parents and children in one particular way; in a significant development of IT skills. The greatest silver lining of this particular cloud must be the increased proficiency in IT competence for all. Furthermore many teachers who have been hesitant about including IT in their lesson planning have realised its possibilities and many benefits. Proficiency has been increased by necessity far more than any Inset training could have done.

Teachers have found themselves thinking of different ways of delivering lesson content. This has opened new avenues of creativity and innovative ideas to engage with pupils across the screen. That which initially daunted some teachers, as they envisaged replicating the classroom across a digital divide, they now report seeing as an opportunity to think in a new way; a way to encourage their pupils to access learning with an array of resources from home.

In History lessons, for example, the children had time to explore topics in greater depth, simply because their day was less full. They built their own Anglo Saxon houses and went outside to write messages in runes, using natural materials. Not only that, but their parents commented on how much they enjoyed being involved in these and many other projects. The children have continued to experiment and explore, taking a ‘hands on’ approach to their own learning; something which will stand them in great stead when they return to on-site lessons in the not too distant future.

On reflection, this particular experience of being ‘tipped on our head’ has offered a kaleidoscope of educational possibilities for parents, teachers and children to go forward together. That said, we all look forward to the day when we return to on-site lessons and the school classrooms are once again filled with the joyous sounds of learning.

Moreton First Prep is featured in the 2020 edition of Which School?, which you can view here...