The government has reissued a direction on remote learning in advance of students' return to schools this month.
The direction places a duty on schools to offer an education to those pupils that cannot attend classes as a result of COVID-19, with the Department for Education reinstating that schools must provide "high-quality remote education” to students while they self-isolate.
Schools around the UK had been informed to retain their ability to provide remote education ahead of the new school year, although the direction that has since been reissued expired in July 2021.
The reissued direction will be in place until the end of the new academic year unless revoked.
Offering remote learning for students was something that schools up and down the country had to adapt to over the past 18 months, as they looked to prevent students falling behind or regressing.
Marish Academy Trust is one such example, a topic that executive headteacher Gill Denham wrote about in the trust's recent contribution to The Parliamentary Review.
Reflecting on the response of the staff team to the unprecedented circumstances, Denham explained that organisational skills and communication proved crucial.
"School closures did not stop the trust team, but rather freed staff up to live out our ethos like never before," she wrote.
"Staff working from home posted lessons and timetables online, and every week they communicated with the families of each of our 1,300 pupils. Each day from March 2020 onwards, we provided care and education to between 25 and 60 children in school, including throughout the holidays. This provision complemented that available online for those staying at home. Relationships have been strengthened and our community nurtured. Lockdown has proved a dynamic catalyst for change, enabling Marish Academy Trust to achieve its dream of reaching into the homes and hearts of all its stakeholders."
Meanwhile, Market Drayton Infant and Nursery School headteacher Samantha Scott said that while there were challenges in terms of remote education, staff went out of their way to support families and students in whatever way was necessary.
"Maintaining communication with all stakeholders has been a challenge since March," she wrote in The Parliamentary Review.
"Despite this, I think it is something that the school has done well. A learning platform called Seesaw was used to support children at home enabling them to have regular communication with classmates. Where families did not have access to the internet, packs of work were prepared. Through regular contact, staff did an excellent job in supporting families who required additional support. From the parental questionnaire, 100 per cent of parents felt that the guidance from the school during coronavirus had been clear and 93 per cent felt that the school had supported home learning well."
