Gunnersbury Online Provision

In the weeks ahead, the advancement of your child’s education will continue to be paramount to the staff of Gunnersbury Catholic School. Quality teaching and learning will very much be continuing within our community to help your child reach the very highest and meet their potential.

Through this difficult time, we will be here to support you and your family academically and pastorally. Please read the information below carefully and if you have any questions or require any further support contact your child’s year team. (See email addresses below)

Expectations of Online Learning 

To enable our students to continue to avail of a high standard of learning, we will ensure that live teaching and suitable resources are available online for all students through Google Classroom.  We have distributed the laptops made available to us by the Government during summer 2020 and during the autumn term, as well as our own laptops for students in need.

If you believe you may be eligible for a laptop, or you do not have an internet connection at home, please contact us via your year group email address. (Please see below)

Student Guide to Remote Learning

Registration begins at 8.30am for all year groups and lessons will follow the school timetable for each year group included below:

Years 7, 11, 12 and 13	Years 8,9 and 10
Registration – 8:30-8:40	Registration – 8:30-8:40
Period 1 8:40-9:25	Period 1 8:40-9:20
Break – 9:25-9:45	Screen Break: 9:20 - 9:30
Period 2 – 9:45-10:20	Period 2 – 9:30-10:10
Screen Break: 10:20 - 10:30	Break – 10:10-10:30
Period 3 – 10:30-11:10	Period 3 – 10:30-11:10
Screen Break: 11:10 - 11:20	Screen Break: 11:10 - 11:20
Period 4 – 11:20-12:00	Period 4 – 11:20-12:00
Lunch – 12:00-12:45	Screen Break: 12:00 - 12:05
Period 5 – 12:45-1:25	Period 5 – 12:05-12:45
Screen Break: 1:25 - 1:30	Lunch – 12:45-1:30
Period 6 – 1:30-2:10	Period 6 – 1:30-2:10
Screen Break: 2:10 - 2:15	Screen Break: 2:10 - 2:15
Period 7 – 2:15-2:55	Period 7 – 2:15-2:55

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Please click on the ‘Google Meet’ link posted in the stream for the subject you have for the scheduled lesson to begin.
• Your lesson will include teacher led input and independent tasks. You must ensure your camera and microphone are enabled at all times to allow you to engage fully with your teacher. The lesson will be recorded.
• The same process should be followed for each lesson of the day
• Your teacher will take the register at the beginning of each lesson and staff will contact the parents of those students that are not present.
• You need to make sure your camera is turned on and you are wearing full school uniform
• If you have a question during the live session, type it into the Google Meet Q&A bar. Comments are also recorded.
• If you want to contact your teacher after the live session, please do this via Gmail

Students are asked to follow the sequence of their usual timetable at home with the timings above and access their learning resources through Google classroom. Following the usual timetable provides a structure to the day for students, and helps to ensure an even amount of time is dedicated to each subject as it would be if students were present at school. 

Contacting home

Students’ use of the learning platforms and completion of activities will be monitored. Where students are not reaching our expectations, their parents will be contacted and informed. Students who have exceeded these expectations in their studies will be recognised and congratulated. This will be communicated weekly via twitter. Subject successes will also be shared with parents and students via emails, phone calls and certificates. 

SEN support

Students with Education, Health and Care Plans have been invited into school to be supported by staff onsite. Those that have chosen to stay at home will be supported online by their allocated teaching assistant and their parents will be contacted regularly to check on how things are going. If you require any further assistance in this area, please do not hesitate to contact our SENCo Mr Baker at julian.baker@gunnersbury.hounslow.sch.uk 

Pastoral support

We recognise that students respond in different ways to this new working arrangement. Many take to it very smoothly. However, those who find independent work difficult will find this challenging and need more support.

Our Learning mentor will continue supporting students during Lockdown. Form Tutors and Heads of Year will support students through Google classroom registrations, telephone calls home and Living Faith lessons. Students are also able to contact any many of staff via Gmail and are encouraged to do so.

We have high expectations, but are also realistic about the challenges this situation will present. Our tips and FAQs are designed to help all families during these trying times. The FAQs include additional ways to contact the school should the need arise.  You will find these at the bottom of this page.

Tips for Parents and Students

Establish routines and expectations: Start times, breaks and lunch at school are at clear times. Maintaining this routine can help maintain a positive work ethic.

Identify a clear physical space in which to work: This will make it easier to focus on your learning, without other distractions.

Talk about the plan for the day, and the lessons ahead: Spending extended time working at home is unfamiliar territory. Talking about how things are going can help pre-empt any problems.

Set times to be on and offline: There will be more screen time than normal whilst working at home. You may have to share devices with family members, and setting time limits in advance can help manage this successfully. Equally, spending time offline is important to maintain a sense of balance in the day.

Remember to exercise: Your wellbeing is enhanced by physical activity, so do make time for this. The PE dept. have planned some excellent activities. This can really help if you are feeling anxious, which is completely normal whilst you are working from home.

Talk about things on your mind: It is a big adjustment working from home every day, and having done it before does not necessarily make it easier. Talk about how things are going. The national and local situation is highly changeable. It is normal to feel uncertainty about this too. Be conscious of how much of the news you watch and talk about what you are watching with your family. 

Read a book: Escape, relax, unwind. Look after yourself.

E-Safety

Please discuss e-safety with your child before they return to online learning.

On-site provision

We are open for key workers' children and vulnerable students in all year groups. Please contact Mr Mahon, Deputy Headteacher for more details at conor.mahon@gunnersbury.hounslow.sch.uk  

 

Frequently Asked Questions  

Where is my child’s work? 

All learning activities and homework will be on Google Classroom

My child can’t login to Google Classroom. What should I do?

Try setting your Internet browser to Google Chrome. This can give greater functionality.

If this continues to be an issue please email your child’s year group email address. (Please find below)

Where should my child complete the learning activity?

This will vary for each subject and each task. Instructions will be given during your child’s lesson by their teacher. If they are still unsure, please ask them to seek clarification from their teacher via the Google Meet chat during the lesson or by Gmail outside of this time.

My child does not understand what to do. How can they get help?

Google Classroom has a Gmail account and students can use this to contact teachers directly. Students are asked to ensure their messages are in full sentences and of the appropriate tone. Students can type questions in the chat feature during a live Google Meet session. Teachers will endeavour to respond to questions when they can. If your child can carry on with another aspect of their learning this will give the teacher time to respond to their query.

How do I get in contact with someone if I have a question?

To contact your child’s pastoral team please use the email address below:

 

Parentsyear07@gunnersbury.hounslow.sch.uk

Parentsyear08@gunnersbury.hounslow.sch.uk

Parentsyear09@gunnersbury.hounslow.sch.uk

Parentsyear10@gunnersbury.hounslow.sch.uk

Parentsyear11@gunnersbury.hounslow.sch.uk

Parentsyear12@gunnersbury.hounslow.sch.uk

Parentsyear13@gunnersbury.hounslow.sch.uk

 

 

I have a safeguarding issue that I would usually discuss with school. What can I do?

Please contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead, Mr Conor Mahon, Deputy Headteacher via email at conor.mahon@gunnersbury.hounslow.sch.uk  

What is going to happen with GCSE/A Level/BTEC examinations?

We are currently awaiting further clarification from the Department for Education. We will update you when this has been received. 

My child is eligible for Free School Meals. Can you help?

We will follow government guidance on the provision of free school meals during periods of distance learning.

Please contact your child’s year group email address (Please find above) for any other queries related to free school meals.

I've read about the national Oak Academy, and all the content on BBC Bitesize. Are you using these lessons?

These are great resources, and are available here: https://www.thenational.academy/  and https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize 

These can be used alongside our directed material and live lessons.

When will you reopen to all students?

We are currently awaiting further clarification from the Department for Education. We will update you when this has been received.