Page 107 - HMS 2020

Back in February, we started planning for remote learning
and the possible closure of School. Initially we planned
activities for each year group to cover a two-day
closure should any cases of Covid-19 have presented
themselves within school. When we realised long-term
closure was likely we started planning a provision that had
longevity. We looked ahead and knew that if we could put a
good programme of learning together for a week, it would
get us to the Easter holidays when we could take stock, improve and evolve what we had offered. At the same time, we were busy putting together a staffing team for our Key Worker provision, ensuring we were ready to run what was pretty much a school in itself.
Form 2JB thanked their teacher Mrs Bell for the remote learning classes with a surprise Zoom tribute.
Teaching staff put in an incredible effort as they learned how to use Microsoft OneNote, adapt their lessons to suit
the platform and get it up and running quickly. The pupils, likewise, stepped up to the challenge and rapidly learnt how to access their work and use OneNote to complete their work. With an extended closure likely, however, we knew our pupils needed live interaction and
input from their teachers to make the academic progress we were striving for and support them pastorally.
We spent the Easter break working with Zoom and putting a new timetable together. Staff worked tirelessly to learn how to use Zoom, record sections of teacher input and use all the tools it offered. With the expertise of Vicky Roos,
Miss White led interactive music classes online using instruments the children had made in DT.
we delivered an interactive timetable that took pupils straight to a virtual classroom with their friends and teachers. The lift this gave the children (and staff ) cannot be underestimated. The buzz of the classroom, albeit virtual, was back!
The iterations of our remote provision
did not stop there; we quickly added
Bax Choir and Pre-Prep choir rehearsals, art scholars sessions and numerous live sport sessions that Joe Wicks could only dream of providing. The pastoral provision we put together was also outstanding;
we held form times three times a week across Zoom and pupils completed a weekly wellbeing questionnaire. Families had regular contact with Heads of Years and our school counsellor was available for virtual meetings throughout the day.
Our Key Worker provision continued
and grew throughout this period, which put more pressure on staffing, but, as always, we had people ready to step up and support our pupils. It was an intense and exhausting 100 plus days for all within the Heath Mount community; we are incredibly proud of the remote provision we offered and feel that we provided our pupils with the academic and pastoral provision that was as close to what they would get in school as lockdown allowed. Despite the difficulties and challenges that we have all faced, there are also positives that we will take from this. We have shown enormous resilience and will return in September with a wealth of new skills
and knowledge to ensure we continue to improve and progress as a school.
Lee Beskeen,
Director of Professional Development
Learning in Lockdown
105
Miss Ferguson’s Star Wars-themed Podcast.
Staying Connected
Almost as soon as lockdown began, the school community was brought together through Miss Ferguson’s thrice-weekly podcasts which involved staff, pupils and special guests (see page 128). The podcasts helped keep the competitive House spirit alive with Galahad, Percivale and Tristram pitted against each other in fun quizzes.
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Pupil Perspective: Finding the positives
“In the last few turbulent and uncertain months, one
happy constant has been the Heath Mount online learning platform. We have all been so fortunate to continue our education at home. We have managed to see all of our friends daily and catch up on news in the teams’ app. Our brilliant teachers have been doing such a fantastic job
in keeping us engaged and informed. I think we have all enjoyed getting out of bed later and finishing school earlier and we’ve not had to sit in the car on the commute and at lunchtime I can eat something I’ve asked my parents to make. We’ve all spent loads of quality time with our families and have all learned new skills.”
Seth E, Year 6
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