Remote Learning Policy

Policy

Policy details

• Date created - 20/10/2025
• Date reviewed - 20/10/2025
• Next review date - 01/09/2027
• Policy owner - Co-op Academy Rathbone

1. Introduction and Overview
2. Use of remote learning
3. Roles and responsibilities
4. Who to contact
5. Data protection
6. Data protection & Safeguarding guidance

1. Introduction and Overview

The aims of this guidance include:

• Ensure consistency in the approach to remote learning for pupils who aren’t in the academy.

• Set out expectations for all members of the academy community with regards to remote learning.

• Provide appropriate guidelines for data protection.

2. Use of remote learning

All pupils should attend school, in line with our attendance policy. We will consider providing remote education to pupils in circumstances when in-person attendance is either not possible or contrary to government guidance. This might include:

Occasions when we decide that opening our school is either:

• Not possible to do safely

• Contradictory to guidance from local or central government
• Occasions when individual pupils, for a limited duration, are unable to physically attend school but are able to continue learning, for example because they have an infectious illness or when pupils are on a part time timetable.

3. Roles and responsibilities

Teachers

In the instance that the whole school is closed, teachers are expected to be available online to pupils between the hours of 8am and 2pm.

If a teacher is unable to work for any reason during this time (e.g., sickness or caring for a dependent), they should report this using the normal absence procedure.

Work will be set using a combination of Class Dojo Portfolios and e-mail (if necessary).

Teachers must set work that stays in line with the curriculum topics pupils are currently studying; if this can't happen, set work based on overlearning topics pupils have previously learned.

Work needs to be set out to cover the school day (this doesn't all need to be online/paper-based and can include physical activities, D.T., Art, etc.).

If there is advance notice, the work needs to be set by 2pm the day before the work is needed. If the teacher finds out on the same day, work needs to be set before 8:30am or as soon as possible.

If parents/carers don't have Class Dojo, teachers need to work with their LSA to arrange a check-in phone call, Google Meet, or email to complete some 1:1 session with pupils or give parents some guidance. Paper packs should be made available as soon as possible for parents to collect or for staff to drop off, ideally by the next school day.

Teachers are expected to mark any work on Class Dojo or if pupils bring in paper work on their return; marking needs to be in line with the current marking policy. Feedback on paper work can be stuck into pupils' books.

Teachers need to stay in contact with parents by phone, email, or on Class Dojo for a check-in to see if parents need any support.

Teachers need to respond to parent correspondence within their normal working hours.

If there are any complaints or safeguarding concerns, teachers need to inform SLT (the senior leadership team) as soon as possible.

When completing virtual meetings, the normal school dress code applies. Teachers need to be mindful of the location they are in for confidentiality, to be aware of background noise, and to ensure nothing inappropriate is in the background.

Support staff (Learning Support Assistants- LSAs)

In the instance of a full school closure, LSAs must be available between 8:00am and 3.30pm (or 4.30pm, depending on contracted hours).

If an LSA is unable to work, they should report this using the normal absence procedure.

They are responsible for supporting the class teacher in putting work on the correct platforms (Class Dojo, emailing it home, setting up 1:1 sessions).

LSAs should be in the usual work dress code when attending virtual meetings and be mindful of their location regarding confidentiality, background noise, and inappropriate backgrounds.

LSAs should be available during their normal working hours.

Subject leads

Subject leads will be available to support staff if they are struggling with a specific topic and how to complete it remotely.

Teachers are asked to contact subject leads if they need support in setting work for a particular subject or topic or with resources.

Senior leaders

Senior leaders are responsible for co-ordinating the remote learning approach across the school.

They will monitor the effectiveness of remote learning through monitoring Class Dojo and meeting with staff.

They will monitor the security of remote learning systems, including data protection and safeguarding considerations.

Senior leaders will also support staff with parental queries or issues raised.

Designated safeguarding leads (DSL)

The DSL is responsible for ensuring admin/teachers have had contact with all pupils.

They will follow up any concerns raised by staff about a pupil.

They will follow up any check-in phone calls or complete home visits if no contact has been made with pupils within 2 days in line with the Child Protection policy.

Academy Community Council

To monitor the school’s approach to providing remote learning to ensure education remains as high quality as possible.

Ensuring that staff are certain that remote learning systems are appropriately secure, for both data protection and safeguarding reasons.

4. Who to contact

If staff have any questions or concerns about remote learning, they should contact the following individuals:

• Issues in setting work – talk to the relevant subject lead.

• Issues with behaviour – talk to Head of School.

• Issues with IT – talk to Head of School/ raise a ticket with Co-op Academies Trust IT team.

Issues with their own workload or wellbeing – talk to DSL or DDSL (Hayley Gorman and/or Katie Quinn).

Concerns about data protection – talk to Andi Macgregor (School Business Manager at Co-op Academy Rathbone).

Concerns about safeguarding – talk to Hayley Gorman (DSL) or Sean Jones (Head of School).

5. Data protection

5.1 Accessing personal data

When accessing personal data for remote learning purposes, all staff members will:

• Use Arbor when accessing any data and ensure it isn't shared anywhere else.

• Use either school or personal laptops, but personal information or data shouldn't be saved on these.

5.2 Processing personal data

Staff members may need to collect and/or share personal data such as phone numbers or emails as part of the remote learning system. As long as this processing is necessary for the school’s official functions, individuals won’t need to give permission for this to happen. The school will follow its data protection policy / privacy notice in terms of handling data. However, staff are reminded to collect and/or share as little personal data as possible online.

5.3 Keeping devices secure

All staff members will take appropriate steps to ensure their devices remain secure. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Keeping the device password-protected – strong passwords are at least 8 characters, with a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters (e.g. asterisk or currency symbol).

• Ensuring the hard drive is encrypted – this means if the device is lost or stolen, no one can access the files stored on the hard drive by attaching it to a new device.

• Making sure the device locks if left inactive for a period of time.

• Not sharing the device among family or friends.

• Using antivirus and anti-spyware software in line with the academy ICT policy.

• Keeping operating systems up to date – always install the latest updates.

6. Data protection & Safeguarding guidance

6.1 Accessing personal data

When accessing personal data for remote learning purposes, all staff members will:

Explain:

• How they can access the data, such as on a secure cloud service or a server in your IT network
• Which devices they should use to access the data – if you’ve provided devices, such as laptops, make staff use these rather than their own personal devices

6.2 Processing personal data

Staff members may need to collect and/or share personal data such as email addresses as part of the remote learning system. As long as this processing is necessary for the school’s official functions, individuals won’t need to give permission for this to happen. The school will follow its data protection policy / privacy notice in terms of handling data. However, staff are reminded to collect and/or share as little personal data as possible online, and to remind themselves of their duties in terms of data protection in accordance with the school’s policies and procedures.

6.3 Keeping devices secure

All staff members will take appropriate steps to ensure their devices remain secure. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Keeping the device password-protected – strong passwords are at least 8 characters, with a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters (e.g. asterisk or currency symbol)
• Ensuring the hard drive is encrypted – this means if the device is lost or stolen, no one can access the files stored on the hard drive by attaching it to a new device
• Making sure the device locks if left inactive for a period of time
• Not sharing the device among family or friends
• Installing antivirus and anti-spyware software
• Keeping operating systems up to date – always install the latest updates
• All parents and pupils must agree to an Acceptable Use Policy which covers remote learning.

When you are teaching/interacting via live video, please ensure that:

• There are no one-to-one lessons.
• The lesson is hosted on Google Classroom/ Class Dojo so only pupils and colleagues within the organisation can access this.
• Quick Access is turned off, which prevents pupils from accessing the session before a member of staff is present.
• The lesson is recorded.  Please note, this video remains the property of the teacher and will not be used for quality assurance.
• During online/remote learning, staff and pupils should continue to communicate and act in a professional manner as if in school.

Colleagues / staff should:

• Maintain their usual professional relationship with pupils.
• Use professional and ‘safe’ language at all times.
• Maintain normal expectations for pupils, as you would in school lessons.
• Ensure pupils are aware of these expectations when delivering live video lessons.
• Whichever method of remote learning is being used, ensure that appropriate privacy settings are in place and GDPR compliance is maintained.  For example, don’t share your screen with the class if it shows confidential information (e.g. Arbor, emails etc).

When delivering a live lesson, ensure that:

• Only relevant pupils can access the lesson.
• Pupils are not sharing personal information via the chat function.
• Pupils have their microphone and camera turned off (this should be set by default)
• Pupils use the ‘chat’, Q&A or ‘raise hand’ functions in a live lesson to ask questions.
• All pupils have left the session before the teacher, or the teacher has the function to end the session for all participants (i.e. pupils are not left on the call unsupervised)
• Challenge any inappropriate behaviour from pupils and report it as you would in school. For serious concerns it may be necessary to remove pupils from the online learning activity to ensure the learning of other pupils can progress.
• Any safeguarding concerns should be reported to the relevant safeguarding leads using the usual channels.

Pupils:

• Should behave as if they were in school and in the classroom – they should be reminded of this, and that the session is being recorded, at the beginning of the lesson.
• Pupils should only access live lessons using their school accounts, not personal accounts. They must not share or access any inappropriate material.
• Pupils should ensure conversations using the chat function are appropriate and related to the lesson.

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