Good response to lockdown learning in Rasen area

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement on January 4,
only children of critical workers and vulnerable children and young people should 
attend school or college.

All other pupils will receive remote education, however the criteria for key worker has been widened, so that only one parents needs to be a critical worker and more children are being classed as vulnerable if they are struggling with access to a digital device such as a laptop or have poor broadband.

The Rasen Mail contacted Market Rasen C of E Primary School; De Aston School, in Market Rasen; Tealby School and Caistor Primary School to see how they were coping under the new circumstances.

All the schools have praised students and parents for adapting and accessing the work set - whether it be from home or in the classroom.

Andrew Smith, Headteacher at Market Rasen C of E Primary School said that a third of pupils at the school fall into the critical 
worker or vulnerable category.

Mr Smith said: “We know we have a number of children who need support with devices to be able to access the home learning.

“At the moment we are sending paperwork home and we are currently reconfiguring £15,000 worth of school 
devices to lend to the children during lockdown whilst we wait for the DFE laptops.”

Mr Smith said the first laptops were due to go out to pupils on Monday and the school has had offers of support from Market Rasen Action Group (MRAG) and 
the local Air Cadets.

Simon Porter, Headteacher at De Aston School, said: “We have 50+ key worker and vulnerable pupils in every day, who are supported with their learning by teaching 
and support staff on site.

“These range across all year groups, Year 7 to Sixth Form.

“We have had some excellent feedback on our remote learning from parents.

“We have live lessons taught over Microsoft Teams starting from this week alongside other forms of learning.”

Zoe Humberstone, Headteacher at Tealby School, said: “Staff are more experienced at working online, tracking children’s learning and knowing what 
is going on with our pupils.

“We are confident that we know what we are doing.

“However, we also know that nothing we do can ever replace the magic of learning together in the classroom, so we must accept that families and schools are doing the 
very best we can.

“We understand and appreciate the many challenges facing our families and we want to help and support them as much as we possibly can by providing school laptops and iPads; helping families understand how to access the learning platforms; handing out hard copies of resources; recording live sessions so that pupils sharing technology can access at times that are 
convenient to them.”

Eleanor Robertson teaches Year 6 pupils at Caistor Primary School.

She said: “Our children have been incredibly resilient and have settled quickly into a good routine that we have prepared them for since September.

“Children in school and at home can access the same content and we are reassured that pupils will still be able to make progress because of how well they have engaged with their learning.”

Following the announcement last Monday, MRAG 
issued a call for any old laptops which could be handed out 
to pupils working from home.

An MRAG spokesperson said: “We are asking our community if anyone has any laptops in a good, clean condition they can donate. These will be then given to our local schools to distribute as they see best.

“We would like to thank Noel at E.S. Computer Services, who will make sure the hard drives are wiped clean and 
ready for the children.

“Donations for internet dongles or help to purchase laptops are also gratefully accepted.”

To find out more or donate, call Julie at MRAG on 07853 216461.