VIEWS & OPINION
The importance of online learning during and
post-coronavirus Comment by NAIMISH GOHIL, founder and CEO of Satchel Since school gates across the UK closed
at the end of March, COVID-19’s impact on the way education is delivered has been profound and all too noticeable. Social distancing measures meant there were fewer opportunities for students to spend time face-to-face with their teachers, severely disrupting their access to the quality teaching, life skills lessons, work experience and careers guidance they’d normally expect. But, although it was initially adopted as a matter of necessity rather
than choice for some, online learning has become widely accepted. Now that schools have reopened, it’s more than just a means of delivering curriculum lessons; it represents an opportunity for students to catch up on the tutoring and careers guidance they’ve missed, and even explore new passions. For example, short-burst classes, delivered by real teachers, are
available online to help students make up for any ground lost during the first lockdown. Careers guidance is also available, with passionate and encouraging professionals from a variety of industries on hand to talk about their own experiences, and the various routes available to students. And there are lessons on life skills, covering important topics
such as mindfulness, and dealing with anxiety and confidence, that typically aren’t taught in school, but which have never been so pertinent. By offering students such a wide range of options, this online
approach is effectively democratising learning. It can open students’ eyes to opportunities they would never have previously considered. Lessons are highly affordable, too. Although classes might not be carried out in one-to-one sessions, they come at an ultra-low cost - with many free of charge - putting them in financial reach of far more students than a typical tutoring session, which can cost between £20 and £40 - and often more. It’s especially important to provide students with access to these
additional classes and services in the current climate. After all, despite schools returning to something approaching normality, it’s been almost impossible for most students to access the additional educational support and careers guidance they’ve needed since lockdown began back in March. However, as the introduction of the second national lockdown has
proved, the future is far from certain. The sustainability of a return to face-to-face teaching can’t be guaranteed 100 percent, so an online approach to delivering education may prove valuable for years to come. Fortunately, one of the few upsides to the situation has been the shift toward an acceptance, even the embrace, of digital learning by most people, and an increase in the number of online tools are now available to give students access to the educational, life skills, and career guidance they may need. These are uncertain times. Making quality learning and valuable expert guidance available online, on a host of different subjects, and at an affordable price, will go a long way to helping young people on their educational journey at a time and during a situation when they most need it.
How to streamline your
curriculum planning Comment by GRAHAM COOPER, Product Strategy Director, Juniper Education
Teachers across the land dedicate hours of their lives to planning, including during the evenings, weekends and holidays. Although it should be a joyous, creative
journey where wonderful lessons are dreamt up and beautiful resources created, curriculum planning often involves your teachers spending time producing copious documents that may not always have a proportional impact on teaching and learning. Planning can take its toll on the workload
and wellbeing of your staff, but it doesn’t have to be that way. My colleague Anna Gregory has some suggestions for how you can help your teachers maximise the impact of their planning while saving valuable time.
• Refresh your approach to PPA time Planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time is an important part of the working week, but in a busy school it can be hard for teachers to take stock and prepare. It might be that by making a few small changes that are easy to implement, your teachers would get more from their PPA time. This could involve shifting someone’s PPA time to the morning when
there are likely to be fewer interruptions, or giving teachers a longer session every fortnight rather than once a week. It might make a world of difference to your teachers if they could work collaboratively during these sessions, for example. Carry out a straw poll among your staff by putting up a notice in the
December 2020
staffroom or sending out an email to ask teachers what one thing would help them get more from their PPA time. Then check back in with your staff to let them know if and when you can accommodate their suggestions.
• Set up a regular curriculum planning surgery Teachers plan and deliver their best lessons when they are in the right
frame of mind for the job, and in these worrying times, schools need to do all they can to promote everyone’s wellbeing. However, if your teachers are burning the midnight oil on lesson
planning, or spending the entire weekend trawling Google for an engaging activity about the Roman invasions, they won’t be at their best in the classroom. Some teachers may be struggling with the workload, or finding it tricky
to deliver learning to different abilities in the class. Set up a regular surgery for staff to come to you and air their views
about planning. Schedule your surgery for a set time of the week, for example every other Wednesday, and encourage teachers to book some time with you during the surgery hours. This will provide an opportunity for teachers to talk through
approaches and ask questions about everything to do with curriculum and lesson planning in a safe, non-judgmental environment.
• Run a lesson planning workshop To enable your teachers to share their ideas from the surgeries, set a date for a lesson planning workshop. This will provide a useful platform for you and your teachers to inspire each other and exchange thoughts on best practice. Ask your teachers to come with an example of a great lesson and the
impact it had, as well as an example of a lesson that didn’t work so well, and some thoughts on why. By encouraging open communication with staff, you can help your
teachers use their planning time purposefully so that lessons have a positive impact in the classroom, and teachers have more child time.
For more ideas on how to save time, visit
https://junipereducation.org/10dayproject/ for a set of free resources from Juniper Education aimed at primary school leaders.
www.education-today.co.uk 23
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