Remote Learning at Westbourne

Westbourne House at Home

The overarching aims of Westbourne House at Home remote learning include continued academic progress, inspiring activities to enthuse the children and continued pastoral care.

March 2020

Westbourne House set out to prepare the best possible online education and overall learning experience for pupils.

Taking feedback from parent surveys into account, the school offered a flexible approach to remote learning which took into consideration different family situations including the number of devices available, varying broadband connections and family work requirements.

Lessons started with a Zoom meeting to launch the learning.  Teachers also pre-record the introduction which remained accessible at any time to allow for flexibility. The teachers were readily accessible through various media to help the children.  Timetabled lessons included academic subjects as well as art, cooking, music, drama and sport.  Additionally, children could opt into an extra activity session each afternoon set aside for whole school experiences, which included cooking, art, sport, extra music, debating, as well as drama.

Whilst formulating Westbourne House at Home, the senior leadership team looked at the experience of teachers and schools in countries that underwent lockdown before the UK. Indications showed that children valued the interaction with their teachers enormously, either to help with work, or simply to chat through how things are going. The resulting timetables gave plenty of opportunity for the children to interact with their teachers throughout the day, in lessons and in pastoral sessions.

Mrs Pollock, Head of Pastoral Care, said: “Whilst much attention has rightly been given to the academic provision offered by our school, care and thought has also been invested in the pastoral care we offer our pupils remotely– care the pupils would normally receive on a daily and weekly basis when at school.”

“We have built in pastoral contact times at both the beginning and the end of the day. In addition, we have ensured we continue our Learning4Life (L4L) sessions which serve as an additional layer of contact and support. We want these pastoral opportunities to serve as touch-stones of normality for the children, in the days and weeks ahead.”

At the younger end of the school in our Pre-Prep and Nursery, Headteacher Caroline Oglethorpe, commented: “We embraced this extraordinary opportunity to work together as a community, helping and supporting each other, as we all worked to be flexible, creative, adaptable and simply to do our best.”