Remote Education provision – Dorton College

This information is for students of Dorton College and their families about what to expect if they are having to learn from home as a result of the pandemic.

What will students be learning at home?

Students will follow their bespoke individual timetables at home as closely as possible.

This will be adapted for individual circumstances and will include access to therapeutic input wherever practicable.

Where a different timetable from normal is needed, students will discuss this with their LSA and this will be communicated with the student and their family regarding access and support needs/input from home.

For practical subjects and subject areas that cannot be covered remotely such as mobility skills, work placements, independent living skills and Braille input (there is the possibility for the college to arrange the loan of a Perkins Brailler), sessions will sometimes be replaced with a phone call or video call to talk through what students could practice during the week, or how it will be planned to access on return to onsite learning.

Areas that cannot be covered during any remote learning period will be prioritised when a return to onsite learning is planned and given timetable priority on an individual basis.

How will students access and participate in learning at home?

All Dorton College students access their learning in different ways. When learning remotely students should have access to appropriate equipment which is provided by their Local Authority. In some cases, the college can loan equipment but is limited with this resource. It may also be possible to arrange broadband access, depending on what external support and resource are available to provide this at the time.

If for any reason a student does not already have suitable equipment provided by their Local Authority to enable remote learning, an emergency application for funding will be made.

Students are provided with information on how to access and stay safe on video platforms such as Zoom or Teams, but some students may also require support to access these from home.

The majority of sessions are delivered on a 1:1 basis with staff from both Dorton College and the partnership college, however, there is some class and group access depending on the individual student timetable.

When a student is accessing a class provided by the partnership college, the 1:1 Dorton College LSA will also log on to provide the appropriate support required. If resources are required in a hard copy format they will be posted to the students’ home in advance of the class.

Some students will also be sent home learning resources for their sessions to complement their learning and progress, depending on need.

A wide variety of access methods are used for students when remote learning and this is interchangeable and will adapt over time. As needs change, so will access to learning methods. Individual timetables are updated on a weekly basis to ensure they are reflective of current need.

Support from home is also highly important when accessing learning remotely, and the College is grateful to receive feedback and notification when things are not working or how they can be improved. Support during sessions for some students is also critical depending on level of need.

Expectations of students

Students are expected to adhere to the allocated timetables. This will be discussed with students prior to remote learning commencing.

Students should ensure that they have the correct equipment and resources ready to use for each session. Any external resources need, such as Braille prints, will be sent via post in advance of the session. LSA’s are on hand to offer support in advance of sessions to help the students ensure they have the correct equipment and resources.

Students should try and find a quiet area for their sessions. Where this is not possible all reasonable support will be given to enable the sessions to go ahead or re-timetable if this is possible.

Learners should be engaging daily with their LSA at the start of the day (or pre-agreed time) to ensure that allocated timetables are followed. It is the student/family’s responsibility to notify their LSA or Zena Williams (Student Support Lead) if a student cannot attend a session, or is unwell. Absences will be recorded in the same way as they are when onsite.

Students should spend adequate time on their studies to ensure they are making progress. They need to factor in break and lunchtimes and ensure that they have an appropriate cut off time. It is important to keep College and home time separate when studying remotely!

Students are expected to have their video cameras switched on in sessions, unless organised with the LSA, and must make sure equipment is adequately charged for the duration of sessions.

Students and families have been provided with online safety tips and should always ensure they are accessing online learning safely and with consideration for themselves, those around them and others online.

What support will be available to students learning at home?

All students have a designated LSA who they will be in contact with and supported by on a daily basis. Sometimes an LSA may not be available on a certain day and the student will be notified who they will be working with for that day.

College Leadership Team support is always available and students are encouraged to email concerns or needs and they will be supported.

There may be some limited access to loaned equipment depending on availability.

Wellbeing surveys and 1:1 support calls are offered, to ensure mental health and wellbeing is supported.

What support will be available to parents?

Parental/home support is crucial in ensuring students are appropriately supported to progress in their college studies and development of independence skills.

The College holds the named contact details of all parent/carers and they are regularly updated on College position and activities.

Parents are supported by the College QTVI with equipment or programme access requirements on a 1:1 basis as needed.

College Leadership Team are on call to discuss any queries or concerns:

Josie Grainger, College Principal
Steve Smith, College QTVI
Zena Williams, Student Support Lead and Health and Wellbeing Lead/Transition Coordinator

How will students continue to access therapies?

All students have therapeutic support as part of their individual timetables. Depending on which therapies they are supported by and accessing, timetables will vary.

For practical subjects and subject areas that cannot be covered remotely such as mobility skills, work placements, independent living skills and Braille input, sessions will sometimes be replaced with a phone call or video call to talk through what students could practice during the week, or how it will be planned to access on return to onsite learning.

Areas that cannot be covered during the remote learning period will be prioritised when a return to onsite learning is planned and given timetable priority on an individual basis.

How will student engagement and progress be monitored?

Students’ attendance is monitored in the same way as if they are onsite. Individual timetables will be arranged with students and any absences recorded in the same way as onsite absences.

Progress is closely monitored and fed back to the staff team daily. Any lapses in progress or concerns are quickly identified and addressed on an individual basis and appropriate support put in place.

The usual progress, targets and curriculum will still be followed and modified for remote access to enable optimum progress while working remotely.