Remote Learning
Arrangements for Remote Learning at Alderman White School, Updated May 2026
The school follows the government guidance for Remote Learning.
Prioritising attendance
Attendance is essential for pupils to get the most out of their school experience, including for their attainment, wellbeing, and wider life chances. Remote education is not an equal alternative to attendance in school. We will consider it as a last resort when the alternative would be no education, and it will have the benefit of allowing absent students to keep on track with their education and stay connected to their teachers and peers.
We will work closely with students, parents, carers, and any other relevant partners such as the local authority, to remove any barriers to attendance as detailed in the DfE school attendance guidance.
Students absent from school and receiving remote education still need to be marked as absent in the register in accordance with the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 and attendance guidance, using the most appropriate code.
Scenarios where remote education will be considered
Circumstances where it might not be possible for pupils to receive in person education fit into 2 broad categories:
- school closures or restrictions on attendance, where students in some or all year groups are unable to attend the school site
- individual cases where a pupil is unable to attend school but is able to learn
In these circumstances, students will have access to remote education as soon as reasonably practicable, in proportion to the length of absence and disruption to their learning.
Remote education will be equivalent in length to the core teaching students receive in school and including recorded or live direct teaching time, as well as time for pupils to complete tasks and assignments independently.
School closures or restrictions on attendance
Every effort will be made to ensure student can be taught in person by attending their school or if appropriate and possible, attending a safe alternative site.
After exploring all options to ensure the school remains open to all students, there may still be some exceptional occasions when it is not possible to open safely, or where opening would contradict guidance from local or central government. If restricting attendance for students is the only viable option, we will consider providing remote education to help pupils stay on track with the education they would normally receive.
Individual cases where a pupil is unable to attend school but is able to learn
When students are unwell their priority should be to rest and recover. We do not expect any student who would be too unwell to access the school site to access remote learning.
When a student is absent, the school should always seek to overcome the barriers to attendance and provide support for the pupil to attend, regularly reviewing any barriers with:
- the student
- parents or carers
- if appropriate, a relevant medical professional
There should only be limited circumstances where a student is unable to attend school but is able and well enough to continue their education remotely. These circumstances should only involve a short-term absence and might include students:
- recovering from short- term infectious illnesses
- preparing for or recovering from some operations
- recovering from injuries where attendance might inhibit recovery
In some exceptional cases, these circumstances might also include students whose attendance has been affected by a special educational need or disability (SEND) or a mental health issue. In these circumstances, we will consider providing students with remote education on a case-by-case basis. This will only be offered as part of a plan to reintegrate back to school, and only where providing remote education will not adversely affect the student’s return to school.
Provision of remote education will be made as a short-term solution allowing absent pupils to keep on track with their education and stay connected to their teachers and peers. It should not be viewed as an equal alternative to attendance in school. Providing remote education during student’s absence does not reduce the importance of bringing that absence to an end as soon as possible.
We will work closely with the local authority and any relevant medical professionals to ensure that children with health needs are fully supported at school, including putting in place individual healthcare plans if appropriate. This may involve, for example, programmes of study that rely on a flexible approach which include agreed periods of remote education.
Pupils with long-term medical conditions or any other physical or mental health needs which affect attendance may need more support to continue their education and we will work with the student, parents and carers, the local authority and other professionals to consider the most appropriate support.
Under section 19 of the Education Act 1996 (s.19 duty) local authorities are responsible for arranging suitable education for children of compulsory school age who, because of health or other reasons, would otherwise not receive a suitable education. The local authority is required to provide education as soon as it is clear that the child will be away from school for 15 school days or more during the school year, whether consecutive or cumulative.
In the limited circumstances when the school decides to use remote education for individual students when they are absent, we will:
Endeavour to reach mutual agreement of remote education by the school, parents or carers, potentially students, and if appropriate a relevant medical professional. If the student has an education, health and care plan or has a social worker, we will also liaise with the relevant professionals.
Where remote education is being used as part of a plan to reintegrate back to school, we will establish a formal arrangement to review the arrangements regularly, alongside identifying what other support and flexibilities can be put in place to support the student to return to school at the earliest opportunity.
Set a time limit within which the period of remote education provision will be reviewed, with the aim that the student returns to in person education with the required support in place to meet their needs.
Our Remote Learning Model
Whole School or Year Group Remote Learning
If the school site has to be temporarily closed to all students or a specific year group or year groups, we will endeavour to provide:
Day 1:
Learning activities on google classroom for students to complete independently, following their usual timetable.
Day 2 onwards:
Live lessons or a live section of the lesson on Microsoft Teams (this may not be possible where a member of staff is unwell or absent)
Resources and instructions on google classroom.
These will follow the usual on-site timetable – students should look at google classroom to find the learning activities and their MS Teams calendar to look for live lesson invites.
Individual students
Where an individual student is learning remotely, work will be provided on Google Classroom. Students in Year 10 and 11 will be invited to “listen in” to the lesson on Microsoft Teams where practical. This may also be provided for students in Years 7-9 at the discretion of the teacher.
Work provided during periods of remote education will be high quality, meaningful, ambitious, and cover an appropriate range of subjects to enable students to keep on track with their education.
On occasions, lessons developed by external providers such as Oak National Academy may be provided instead of school led video content.
Remote education will be equivalent in length to the core teaching time students would receive in school where possible, being mindful of the individual needs and circumstances of the student(s) and their families, including but not limited to:
- Consideration of age, stage of development, and independent study skills.
- SEND or other additional needs the student(s) might have.
- The challenges of learning at home, which may include limited supervision and having a suitable place and opportunity to study.
- Screen time, making reasonable allowances for adequate breaks for pupils and staff during digital remote education.
- Any significant demands on parents’ or carers’ help or support. Younger children and some children with SEND, might require high levels of adult involvement to support their engagement with remote education, which can make it a particular challenge for these groups.
Support with IT devices and platforms
Students require access to a Chromebook, laptop or pc throughout the school day to access remote learning.
All students have a Chromebook or laptop for use in school and at home from October of Year 7, many of which have been purchased through our subsidised Chromebook scheme.
Where students need to borrow a device from school, or need support securing appropriate internet connectivity, we will try to support with an appropriate solution.
Students use Google classroom as part of their daily practice in school and at home, as this is where homework is recorded. Students are taught how to access and use Google Classroom in Computing lessons at the start of Year7 and are taught how to access an MS teams live lesson as part of their Computing curriculum in Year7-9. Teachers regularly use MS Teams.
Where we are unable to provide access to Google Classroom, we will provide printed resources, such as textbooks and workbooks, supplemented with other forms of communication to keep pupils on track or answer questions about work.
Monitoring Engagement and Progress
If groups are required to work remotely, we will record attendance at MS Teams remote lessons on our school attendance system.
Teachers will check that students are accessing and completing the work by monitoring work submitted on Google Classroom and through interactions with students during live lessons.
If students are not present or engaged with the work, the teacher will first explore whether there are any difficulties such as IT or illness. Where engagement is a concern, we will work with families to identify effective solutions.
Provision for Pupils with SEND
If pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) are not able to be in school and require remote education, their teachers will identify suitable activities and work so that their needs can be met to ensure they continue to make progress. We will work collaboratively with families and put in place reasonable adjustments. Decisions on how provision can be delivered will be informed by relevant considerations including the support families will require and services that the student can access remotely.
If a pupil has an education, health and care plan, we will work with the local authority to ensure all the relevant duties under the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice continues to be met.
Remote education during a suspension or permanent exclusion
Work will be set and marked for students during the first 5 school days of a suspension or permanent exclusion.
Remote education will not be used as a justification for sending pupils home due to their misbehaviour. Any time a student is sent home as a result of their behaviour, this is a suspension and will be recorded in line with the law on disciplinary suspensions.
The school’s legal duties to students with SEND remain in force.
Delivering Remote Education Safely
Children can be at risk of harm inside and outside of the school, inside and outside of home and online. During remote learning we will establish systems for checking, daily, whether students are safe at home and engaging with their remote education.
We are mindful of the importance of keeping children safe online and will follow our Trust policy while delivering live lessons. We will also ensure that parents receive appropriate information and guidance about how to keep their children safe online, especially during periods of remote learning.
Free School Meal Entitlement
Where students eligible for benefits-related free school meals are receiving remote education, we will work with our school caterer either to provide good quality lunch parcels or to issue a food voucher. This will ensure that eligible students continue to be supported for the period they are unable to attend school.
Oversight of Remote Learning
Overarching responsibility for the quality and delivery of remote education is shared by Mr Young, Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Achievement, and Mrs Rockley, Deputy Headteacher with responsibility for Teaching and Learning. They will consult with staff and relevant leaders within the school or trust to develop remote education plans, ensuring they are relevant and up to date.