Southbank International SCHOOL’S VIEW ON REMOTE LEARNING
When the doors opened after the first UK lockdown, the entire school was abuzz with chatter, and not just from the students. Teachers shared their students’ excitement to be back. “Children have been so happy to see their friends and to see us again,” says David MacMorran, deputy principal for primary years.
School where the magic happens. Small class sizes, a focus on good relations between staff and pupils and a strong sense of community means the school thrives on friendships and bonds. Teachers pride themselves on nurturing healthy debate and lively interaction – lessons are seldom dull.
W
hile staff adapted to remote learning with imagination and dedication, it’s in the classrooms of Southbank International
“There is no substitute for face-to-face teaching,” says Angela Johnson, head of English faculty in the senior school. “Body language speaks volumes. And we know how important spontaneous communication is – how students can just pop by and chat if they need to.” Doing all this from behind a computer is possible but more difficult, says head of languages, Fabienne Fontaine. In real life you can spot by the slump of shoulders or a tilt of a head whether a pupil has understood or not, and that’s harder online. “It’s about the relationships and the bond you manage to create with students.”
SOUTHBANK EQUIPPED FOR FUTURE LOCKDOWNS
But when schools were forced to close again, Southbank was poised to switch seamlessly to online learning and knows how to structure a digital day. All the nuts and bolts were in place – every student was already equipped with a device, and the school has long been using the likes of Google Classroom to deliver resources and keep across individual student’s studies. “And we’ve streamlined the apps we use: we keep it simple and we know what works,” says Mr MacMorran. After playing around with digital format, teachers know how to help students remain engaged from their home classrooms. “Cameras on” is the first rule for Ms Fontaine – to keep as much open communication as possible – “it’s more polite,” she says. Students can still work in groups online with teachers “dropping in” on collaborative discussions. From podcasts to remote cookery classes, teachers have improvised with aplomb. Shyer students may have felt more able to contribute to online projects, teachers say. Digital tools have allowed
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