Tents Could Be Used to Support Return To School After Lockdown

Social distancing could be maintained with a concept already trialled successfully in Denmark

**Above: proposed pop-up classrooms including hand washing facilities (© Darc Studio)**

London-based architecture studio, Curl la Tourelle Head Architecture (CLTH) has released a new concept to help mitigate restricted circulation routes within schools and maintain the necessary social distancing among pupils and staff when schools reopen. This follows the latest announcement from the UK government on its plans to allow primary schools in England to reopen to select year groups from June.

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      string(5732) "As a trainee teacher, I often needed a bit of extra cash to pay for my rock climbing habit. Fortunately, I was training at the height of London Challenge so my schools’ pockets were rather deeper than they are at the moment. That meant I could opt to sacrifice a few days’ holiday and teach some lessons over the break in return for an extra payment. A few days of these payments easily funded a drive up to the Lake District and a pitch for my tent, with a few pounds left over for a pint or two of Wainwright Ale at the Old Dungeon Ghyll pub.How much things have changed in the nearly 15 years since then. The funding gates have snapped shut, London Challenge is a distant memory, and that’s before even mentioning the mass closures that have come with the covid pandemic.What doesn’t seem to have changed, is teacher’s willingness to go into schools over the summer holidays, and many schools are counting on this willingness as part of their strategy for helping pupils bounce back from the lockdown. Nearly two-thirds of teachers told TeacherTapp that they would be willing to work as part of summer schools in the upcoming break.It’s therefore no surprise that last week, the charity Teach First submitted evidence to the Education Select Committee advocating summer schools as a means of providing “intensive catch up”. Chief Executive Russell Hobby said:“Fully resourcing summer schools, particularly in the most disadvantaged communities, will be essential to getting the support to the children who need it most…. Summer schools are one way to provide the foundations to re-engage pupils with ongoing school life, re-establishing routines so that when schools fully resume young people can hit the ground running with learning.”However schools planning summer activities should not expect a quick fix. Whilst there is evidence to suggest that summer provision can yield 2-4 months of additional progress, some studies show limited academic impact and effectiveness seems to depend on how they are delivered. If summer schools are intended to help the most disadvantaged pupils, there can also be considerable difficulties ensuring the right students turn up. That’s why Stuart Lock, Chief Executive of Advantage Schools, a MAT in Bedford argues that:“This is not the first time summer provision has been on the agenda and money was thrown at this in the past. The problem was that as well as being expensive, firstly, the most needy did not turn up and secondly, it didn’t work for those that did. That’s why it was scrapped… Overall I therefore think it is a bad bet and I can’t see it working”Like Stuart, I certainly recall that when I used to return home from a class during the holidays, I was infinitely less tired than after a normal school day because the pupils who had sat in front of me were rarely the most challenging.So what should schools do if they want to try and help their pupils bounce back during summer 2020? Well, the Centre for Education and Youth has today published a new report to support school leaders who are grappling with exactly that question. As well as calling on the government to properly fund any national roll out, it makes three recommendations to schools.In the report we set out some of the ways this summer will differ from ‘normal’ summers and why this will require a different approach to usual when balancing academic and social-emotional content. Thus, today’s report builds on last months’ report “Supporting Vulnerable Young People through Covid-19”.We also argue that although any provision should be open to all, it is important to work with other services to reach out to the most vulnerable pupils, as Janice Allen, a Head Teacher in Rochdale explains:“An important consideration is making sure that any academic catch up doesn’t feel like a punishment by unfairly targeting more disadvantaged pupils. The message can’t be… ‘you are disadvantaged so we want you to give up your holidays and work on your English and Maths’ That’s why working with partners is so important, and why it has to be part of the universal offer. We can then use our knowledge of our pupils, alongside existing relationships to encourage pupils to participate.”Finally, we argue that pupils transitioning between phases of schooling risk being particularly disadvantaged by school closures. Though the government’s latest announcement on school reopening may mean some pupils are able to return to school before the summer holiday, this is unlikely to be the case for all of them and normal transition support will not be easy to implement. We therefore argue that schools should particularly prioritise provision for pupils transitioning out of the Early Years, into secondary schools and into Post-16 education.Thinking back to that summer 2007 as I cycled through the parks to teach my classes in North West London is like looking back at a very distant continent as it slips behind the horizon.Reflecting on the classes I taught, I’m pretty sure my students enjoyed them and I’d like to hope they learned valuable lessons. However there’s no doubt that I could have taught them more effectively if I had guidance on how to make the most of that bonus time. Hopefully today’s report will provide that and mean that any schools going above and beyond by teaching their pupils this summer can maximise the impact of their efforts.About The AuthorLoic Menzies (@LoicMnzs) is Chief Executive of The Centre for Education and Youth (CfEY). He has worked in education research, evaluation"
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Blogs

Can Summer Schools Help Disadvantaged Pupils Bounce Back from Covid?

11 May 2020

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      string(5733) "return to school next term.Our pupils begin using their USO login to access resources and information both at school and at home from the start of their Reception year and this was a real plus for us at the start of lockdown as it meant we already had an established platform for them to access safely and has enabled us to build on our home learning offer as we have evolved based on the changing needs of our familiesBenefitsCross-curricular learning has always been at the heart of our educational strategy with its opportunities to ‘join up learning’ so that children can apply skills across different areas. This is particularly important at early years and infant levels: for very young pupils, it’s essential that learning makes sense in order to develop their understanding.We focus lessons around a specific topic or theme to give learning this overarching narrative. Children work towards a large, ongoing project which they love as it gives their school days purpose and direction.Adding technology to this approach makes it even easier to support, embed and enhance the children’s learning. j2e is aligned to the National Curriculum and designed to cross subject areas, meaning our teaching is always aligned to fulfil government requirements as well as supporting lifelong learning – cross-curricular learning helps pupils view education as more than just syllabus content.Children find the resource intuitive and easy to use, allowing them to take ownership of their learning and feel proud of the work they create. j2e5’s variation of text, graphics, sounds, videos and animation provides pupils with SEND a learning experience that is practical, differentiated and adapted to their individual needs.It’s our duty as educators to find ways for children to use screen-time productively. Activities such as animation and coding fit the bill perfectly. 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Since pupils may have to go back and start again it builds resilience and a growth mindset – they discover if you want to create something great, failure is a necessary part of the learning process!Films and animationsCreative endeavours such as producing their own short films mean children can express themselves and feel proud of their achievements, increasing their confidence. Wellbeing and mindfulness is a big focus at Trafalgar – we believe that early emphasis on positive mental health creates a strong foundation for the future, which will help our pupils overcome the future challenges life throws at them.“Teachers love seeing the children so enthused about their learning and taking the lead on their own projects. j2e also reduces administrative tasks for educators – it’s easy to set and mark work as it is all stored on the cloud-based j2launch platform. The support staff for pupils with SEND find it invaluable – they know all the information and supporting material they need is stored on the cloud system, rather than on numerous files and pieces of paper around school and home.Parents are reassured as they know their children are learning in a secure, safe online environment. The USO (Unified Sign-On) to log in is the same as for the e-school, so it has been easy to integrate into existing teaching and home learning practices. The fact that photos can be uploaded straight onto the j2e Launch means parents remain informed about what children are learning at school and can easily view examples of their work.The tools were also instrumental in helping pupils create the animations for our two Promethean Grant winning . The Grant aims to give UK schools the opportunity to win edtech equipment through creating videos showing Promethean how teachers and pupils can benefit from one of their products. In 2017,Our pupils created a short film about how our music curriculum could be improved by a Promethean ActivPanel – an interactive display for the front of the classroom. In 2018 we decided to enter again, this year creating a short film which highlighted the frustrations of the old interactive whiteboard and projected a vision of how an ideal board would look in the future.The children were responsible for acting, filming and editing the movie, which was based on an animation created by a Year 1 pupil using j2e with flashing stars and a rocket zooming through space to the moon. This was transferred into a backdrop for the green screen and used in a scene where pupils in space used a new style interactive panel. We were overjoyed to win a second ActivPanel which is used in the ICT suite – apps can now be used in front of the class and children’s work on their iPads is mirrored on the interactive board.”Jane Burton, the school’s IT, Computing and Online safety lead and IT"
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Digital Learning

Very Young Children Can Be Creative Digital Learners!

29 May 2020

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      string(3740) "Above: Pop-up tent concept trialled at Manorfield Primary School, London© Curl la Tourelle Head British architecture firm Curl la Tourelle Head has trialled its first pop-up school proposal at Manorfield Primary School in Tower Hamlets, London to optimise social distancing among pupils and staff. An original concept initiated by the London-based architects, the tent measures 6m x 18m and is supplied by Cumbria-based marquee specialist, Original Marquees. The temporary structure has been used to host classrooms and as a lunch area for pupils, delivering at least 25% more socially distanced capacity than what the school currently offers. The architects aim to demonstrate that under the constraints imposed by COVID-19, it is still possible to create an environment that can safely accommodate more pupils but also allow the social distancing rules to be observed. Paul Jackson, Headteacher, Manorfield Primary School, said, “Our children have been out of school for far too long. We want to bring as many children back to school in as safe a way as possible.“We won’t bring back more children than it is safe to and need to find creative solutions to enable the wider opening of schools.The creation of additional pop-up accommodation in our playground will support us in doing this and meeting the needs of our children.  We are very excited to see more of them returning to school.  Above: Proposed pop-up classroom and washing facility that enable social distancing © Curl la Tourelle Head Inspired by outdoor learning at schools in Denmark, Curl la Tourelle Head’s proposal directly addresses the most pressing issue that many schools are now facing across the UK–which is maintaining social distancing as pupils return to their classrooms. The concept focuses on utilising outdoor space to ease the circulation load in existing school buildings. It involves reusing resources including festival marquees, that would otherwise be dormant, to build temporary classrooms and portable facilities incorporated with the two-metre social distancing rules.Not only will the pop-up structures enable better spacing between individuals, they will also create more capacity to take on further pupils.As well as improving air-flow and wellbeing, the architects see this as an opportunity to utilise public or large outdoor spaces in unconventional ways that might not be thought of previously.Wayne Head, Director, Curl la Tourelle Head, said, “Our pop-up school initiative offers a robust and adaptable suite of temporary structure options, ranging from simple canvas marquees to fully operational, insulated and engineered facilities capable of servicing entire year groups through the planned ‘big summer of catch-up’ and autumn term beyond.“We are confident that we have the solution to help schools increase their capacity and bring back more pupils, while still following the social distancing rules and ensuring a safe environment for the children and staff.”  Above: Veldeman’s temporary structures at Universiteit Antwerpen, Wilrijk © Jeroen Willems Curl la Tourelle Head is currently in discussion with other schools across the country and overseas, with the aim of rolling out the concept further and wider. In addition to Original Marquees, the architects are partnering with global temporary structure provider, Veldeman, to produce pop-up accommodation that can cater for full year groups and be lit with lecture theatre equipment, heating and air conditioning.The pop-up tent at Manorfield Primary School is expected to stay until the end of the current school term"
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Learning Spaces

Socially Distanced Tents Go Up at London Primary

16 Jun 2020

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      string(329) "... ESMS (Erskine Stewart’s MelvilleSchools) in Edinburgh and we are one of the largest independent schools inEurope. In many ways, ESMS is a very traditional school, based on nine corevalues and a strong sense of family.I often work with groups of children in Support forLearning workshops. It saddens me ..."
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      string(5657) "Enjoying  experiences without leaving the classroom with VR headsetsToo many teachers still believe that they differentiate fortheir learners by providing three different forms of worksheets: one with verylittle text and a few images to the two-page, fully justified piece of prosewhich demands more than a single word answer to questions. Frankly, this is criminal. Differentiation should focusmore on the strengths of learners, rather than their weaknesses, and shouldtake into account different learning styles. These days there is so much technology out there that providesalternative ways of accessing and presenting information so that teachers canprovide differentiation in a more meaningful way than ever before.I am Head of eLearning at ESMS (Erskine Stewart’s MelvilleSchools) in Edinburgh and we are one of the largest independent schools inEurope. In many ways, ESMS is a very traditional school, based on nine corevalues and a strong sense of family.I often work with groups of children in Support forLearning workshops. It saddens me that children feel that being different issuch a negative thing, rather than an opportunity to shine. We focus on howtechnology could be used to level the playing field for them and by providingreal differentiation we given them the chance to shine.I remember one example where dictation software was quiterevolutionary for a child. He was tasked with writing an essay about Napoleonfrom George Orwell’s Animal Farm. He did not know where to start and staredglumly at his laptop, quite in despair. He had a laptop because he struggled tohand write and there is no doubt about it, the device helped him to producelegible work of which he could be proud. I found that he could tell me everything about Napoleonfrom having read the book alongside listening to the audio version and Irealised that his strengths lay in his verbal communication. So, we exploredthe dictate function in Word and I showed him how to share this with me as alive document, so I could see what he created as he went along. It provided him with a sense of independence to do the taskbut with the knowledge that I was there, if he needed me. We sat in the sameroom but he completed his 500 word essay in around ten minutes by speaking hisessay into his laptop. We proofread it together using the immersive reader toolsavailable to us and his smile never left his face the entire time. It was as ifa weight had been lifted from his shoulders. That boy has gone on to use thattechnology to help him utilise his strengths to overcome his learningchallenges effectively ever since.Offering options – differentiation by output Some teachers think they are differentiating if they get studentsto do a PowerPoint presentation instead of an essay. They think they areticking the box for visual learners too but real differentiation comes when pupilshave a choice. Some children will prefer to use video, some will be confidentto stand and talk and others may prefer to make a poster. In each approach, thechildren will use their strengths and areas of confidence and still achieve thesame end result of imparting knowledge to someone else. This allows them thefreedom to explore their own learning strengths. Some children are reluctant to speak up in class. Now thereare alternatives. Try using Padlet or any online bulletin board. Teachers, TeachingAssistants and students can post up questions and answers, everyone cancontribute and the teacher can pause during the lesson to review and discusscontributions. This is vey similar to the chat technology we have allbecome accustomed to on Teams and Zoom, during lockdown. It makes for moreactive learning, better engagement and lets listeners record queries orobservations in the heat of the moment instead of at the end of a session so itputs less strain on memory.So too, Flipgrid has been a fabulous medium through whichstudents have been able to engage in lessons, contributing through video, todiscussions and answering questions. I have enjoyed seeing examples of thoseshy ‘middle children’ suddenly becoming more visible in lessons and my hope isthat they can build from this when schools return to ‘normal’. What I hope for more is that teachers remember thoselightbulb moments and develop those platforms effectively, which helped engagetheir students and allowed distance learning to work so effectively.Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality offer access to experiences At our school we expect that by the time children reachPrimary 6 (Year 5) they will be using fountain pens to complete all theirwritten work which will be proudly displayed on the classroom walls.  As in all schools, some children will notreach the dizzy height of legible blotch-free work, so ESMS has also investedin technology. There are many engaging resources out there. Some come andgo and, tragically, HPReveal is one of those which never lasted the course. Itwas fabulous AR app which gave many of our children an easy and engaging way tocommunicate their learning to an audience, without the focus on handwrittentext. Using augmentative reality to make books come to life at ESMSThingLink has stepped into the gap beautifully for us. Itallows a multimedia interaction with learners and brings posters to life whichwould otherwise have been inaccessible to some for whom reading is difficult.We have used it brilliantly to create interactive site maps for new familiesand those in transition years. I was privileged to showcase ThingLink at BETT 2019,alongside Avantis ClassVR, and presented to educators and school"
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Assistive Technology

Technology Is Helping Us to Tackle the Void of Differentiation

29 Jun 2020