Learning together, even while apart
During the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, children, families and staff found new ways to learn together while many pupils were at home.
This page preserves the learning projects and resources shared with our school community at that time. They offer a record of how families and staff supported children through an extraordinary period.
Historical archive: these projects and instructions were prepared for the 2020 lockdown. References to school closure, key workers, bubbles and daily home-learning expectations describe arrangements at that time.
Our message to families in 2020
Archive message — 2020Wellbeing came first
During school closure, we asked families to prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of their children.
The learning projects were created to support families during the COVID-19 pandemic. They could not replace the quality of learning children received in school, but were designed to provide accessible opportunities for learning at home.
The original page also shared information from the Critical Incident Support Service to support early years settings and childminders in the event of bereavement in their community.
Stay home, save lives
The original message asked families to keep children at home where possible and use school provision when work was critical to the COVID-19 response. This was guidance for the circumstances of 2020.
Home learning projects by year group
Open a year group to explore the weekly learning projects. The documents are retained as they were shared with families during 2020.
Reception — learning projects
Year 1 — learning projects
Year 2 — learning projects
Year 3 — learning projects
Year 4 — learning projects
Year 5 — learning projects
School bubble plans
These plans record some of the learning provided for children attending school in separate groups during 2020.
Art & music at home
Artwork to colour
These artwork resources were shared with families during lockdown.
Thank you to Dr Clare Campbell of St Charles RC Primary School in Swinton for sharing her artwork with us.
Making music at home
These activities were shared to help families make music at home, including resources from Bolton Music Service.
About the original learning projects
The following information explains the purpose of the projects and the advice given to families in 2020.
What were the aims of the learning projects?
The projects were designed to:
- Create age-specific learning opportunities for primary school children.
- Offer an accessible resource that parents could help children use or children could use independently.
- Connect key learning with the National Curriculum.
- Help children continue learning at home during school closure.
- Enable families to explore shared topics and themes.
- Provide structure and focus for days spent learning at home.
- Bring online learning resources and links together in a manageable format.
How were families encouraged to use the projects?
Families were invited to select their child’s year group, download a project and work through its activities. Although projects had been prepared in an order, families could choose a theme that suited their children.
The original guidance suggested a minimum of two hours of learning each day, while recognising that this was a parental choice and that families needed to decide what was achievable for them. Teachers also shared supporting resources and learning through social media.
This describes the guidance offered during the 2020 lockdown rather than an instruction for families today.
What if a child found the learning difficult?
Families were reassured that children can find learning challenging and that it was fine to make a note of something difficult and move on to another activity. Misconceptions could then be addressed when school reopened.
The projects were based on National Curriculum expectations for each year group. If a project was too challenging, including for a child with additional learning needs, families were encouraged to consider an earlier year-group project where this was more appropriate.
With thanks to Steve Taylor, CEO of Robin Hood, for permission to adapt and use these resources.
Remote education & learning links
Our Remote Education page brings together Google Classroom, Oak National Academy, family support and our archive of remote provision during the 2021 lockdown.
Home Learning Projects
You should only send your child to school if you have to, because your work is critical to the COVID-19 response. If you are able to keep your child at home, you should. #StayHomeSaveLives
During school closure, we trust that all prioritise the mental health
and wellbeing of our children above all else.
Learning Projects have been created to support families as a result of school closure due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic.
In creating the Learning Projects we fully acknowledge that they cannot replace the quality of learning your child receives at school, however, our complete focus has been on creating a set of projects that all children can access to maximise their learning whilst at home.
The coronavirus is affecting all communities and the Critical Incident Support Service (CISS) has written guidance to support early years settings and child minders in the event of their community suffering a bereavement.
Please click this link to be taken to our PSHCE page to see this guidance and support.
Art
Please follow the above links for some fabulous artwork to colour in.
Many thanks to Dr Clare Campbell of St Charles RC Primary School in Swinton for sharing her amazing artwork with us.
Music
Please follow the links above for activities to make music at home from Bolton Music Service.
What are the aims of the Learning Projects?
- To create age specific learning opportunities for primary school children.
- To create a resource for parents that is easy to access and use – the focus is on parents being able to help deliver the content or children accessing it independently.
- Key learning is linked to the National Curriculum.
- To enable children to continue with their learning at home during an enforced shutdown.
- To enable families to focus on a joint topic and theme to promote family wide learning.
- To provide structure and focus to each day that an enforced shutdown occurs.
- To centralise online learning resources and links into an easy to manage format for families.
How do I use the Learning Projects?
As a parent your first step is to select the year group your child is in. There are seven weeks worth of projects that are available and whilst they have been created with an order in mind you do not have to follow this. It may be that you look at the table below and decide that your child or if you have more than one, children, would prefer to spend a week on a certain theme in the first week rather than in week four as suggested – this is totally fine. You then download the project and begin following it. The aim is for you to complete a minimum of two hours of learning a day with your child but this is very much your parental choice and you may wish for your child to do more. Our teachers will be updating social media feeds regularly with supporting resources and other learning. Again, do what you feel is achievable.
What happens if my child finds the learning too difficult?
Our first piece of advice to parents is that ALL children find elements of learning challenging at times so try not to worry if your child becomes stuck and you cannot explain it to them. If this happens then make a note of what they found hard and move onto another learning activity – the school will cover any misconceptions when we return.
The Learning Projects which have been designed are based on the National Curriculum expectations for the year group which your child is in. It may be that your child finds the tasks set within the Learning Project for their year group too challenging, for example if they have additional learning needs. If this is the case, then we advise that your child accesses the Learning Projects which are set to the age range below, for example a child in Y4 could attempt the Y3 Learning Project or Y2 Learning Project, if this is more appropriate for them.
Many thanks to Steve Taylor, CEO of Robin Hood, for permission to adapt and use his resources.