Blended Learning

Blended Learning is a term used to describe a teaching style that combines the use of technology and online learning or the sharing of materials/resources to enhance a child’s development both at home or in the classroom. The benefits are impressive as children can use technology in their learning as well as having a traditional hands-on and in-person lesson/experience with a teacher or indeed with parental engagement at home.

Blended Learning is increasingly used to describe the way e-learning is being combined with traditional classroom methods in school and at home. The flexibility of when or where learning takes place coupled with the creativity of independent study is a very powerful methodology of teaching and learning, engaging the child with support when needed from the teacher or parent, at school or at home.

The teaching staff at Greenfield Primary School recognized the interest and enthusiasm of children and parents during the closure of school to many children during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Teachers have been setting work and messaging families using online platforms and indeed families themselves have been returning work, videos, messages and creative, independently researched areas of study in the form of projects.

It is therefore our Intent to continue and indeed further develop Blended Learning at Greenfield Primary School.

We will Implement Blended Learning in all areas of our Broad and Ambitious curriculum from Nursery to Year 6.

-Mini Mash is being used in Nursery to allow children and parents to share information with teachers and make all areas of learning accessible at home or at school.

-Tapestry is used in Nursery and Reception to share learning between home and school and evidence a child’s learning journey.

-Twinkl is also used for home learning and engagement between children, parents and teachers from Nursery to Year 6.

-Purple Mash is an online platform used from Reception to Year 6 covering all subjects and allowing communication between children, teachers and parents via email.

-Times Table Rock Stars is used throughout school facilitating communication and learning in a highly motivational way between parent/child and child/teacher and again in the home environment or in school.

-Elements of the curriculum are being taught through online platforms, Spelling Shed, Maths Shed and Literacy Shed facilitating home learning linked to school via video and learning resources.

-Mathematics teaching is further enhanced through teaching slides and resources available through White Rose Premium.

-School now uses teacher led video clips and PowerPoint from Reception to Year 6 delivered through BBC Bitesize.

-Here at Greenfield Primary school we work with the Oak National Academy which is an online classroom and resource hub, providing high quality video lessons and resources to support teachers, parents and pupils from Reception to Year 6. This covers a range of subjects for each year group and includes communication, physical development and the arts.

We can already see, in part, the Impact this teaching methodology is having on pupils. There has been an excitement in children’s learning evidenced by a 70% average completion rate of online learning activities throughout school during its partial closure due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

We are therefore hoping as we (children, parents, teachers) develop our understanding and expertise with the potential of Blended Learning, we will see its impact on pupil participation and progress over the coming months.