How schools in North Kirklees are stepping up the challenge of remote learning

In Lockdown 3, schools are closed to most children until at least February half-term so home-schooling is the new routine for most families.

Schools have learned enormous lessons from the first lockdown last year and video lessons and online teaching have changed beyond all recognition with staff and students buying into what’s required.

“We all wish Covid-19 had never happened but as schools we have to deal with it,” said Matthew Burton, head teacher at Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury.

“The difference between Lockdown 1 and Lockdown 3 and the strides we have made is absolutely enormous but even how schooling looked at the start of Lockdown 3 and the end of Lockdown 3 may be totally different.”

Schools have had to adopt various methods for teaching. Different schools have different platforms – there’s Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom or Seesaw.

Some schools record video lessons for students to access at a time to suit them, often to fit around family life where working-from-home parents and brothers and sisters need to juggle computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones, putting pressure on even the best broadband connections.

Mr Burton, 38, who has two primary-age children himself, knows the challenges of home and school only too well.

“I’m really proud of how staff and students have risen to the challenge,” he said. “We usually have our ABC of running the school – Attendance, Basics and Curriculum. We’ve adapted that so it’s now Adaptable, Brave and Calm.”

The feedback on home-schooling at Thornhill has been “phenomenal,” said Mr Burton.

The school has lent out laptops as needed but plenty of students will have been delighted that gaming devices such as X-Box and PlayStations can access Microsoft Teams, the platform used by Thornhill.

The school has 40 students who attend every day, those described as “vulnerable” or the children of critical workers but Mr Burton says the success of lockdown schooling is communication.

“We must communicate with everybody and have clarity and if we get the messages across everybody buys into it.”

Primary schools have a different set of challenges with younger children with shorter attention spans. Engaging with them can be tough but teachers at Batley-based Windmill Primary School are using Google Classroom to upload video lessons and content.

They have switched platforms and teachers have had special training. Head teacher Darren Foulke said schools have had to step up again.

“Schools have been on a journey and the expectations around remote learning are greater this time around,” he said.

Windmill is a large school with 421 on the roll. Almost 100 children attend every day.

Having enough devices was an issue but the community rallied round and refurbished tech was donated. Birstall’s Argos store gave £300 to be spent on devices. All children who needed tech are now catered for.

“We go above and beyond for our community and we’ll always do whatever it takes to support our families,” said Mr Foulke.