Welcome to Earlscliffe Live.
Through Earlscliffe Live we continue to deliver the teaching of all our courses, including GCSE, IGCSE, and A-level, as well as our Business Diploma, the University Foundation Year and the EPQ. We also deliver TRaC™ testing and results, marking and feedback, university counselling, and a range of further provision.
Our online learning is an alternative provision necessitated by global circumstances. Crucially, its effectiveness is not reduced by a natural distance between learner and teacher, because our students have been taught face to face for months and years by their teachers and a common understanding and professional bond already exists, unlike standard online learning programmes. Furthermore, our students are ambitious and keen to complete their courses to gain the grades required for academic progression.
Year 12
(first year of A-level course)
Year 13
(final year of A-level)
Year 13
(Level 3 Diploma in Business and Management)
It is essential to state that there is no change in the method of assessment on the Diploma in Business and Management course
Year 13
(University Foundation Year)
It is essential to state that there is no change in the method of assessment on the UFY course
The academic subject timetable continues as normal, following the usual timings (all times British Summer Time). For some students based in time zones well in advance (i.e. +7) of the UK, they will attend most lessons but may well access some recorded sessions or arrange a separate 1:1 Zoom session with their teachers.
Homework will be set as usual and submission deadlines must be adhered to by students.
Attendance in lessons is expected. Teachers will take a register using the online ISAMS system that we normally use. Parents will be informed of absence from lessons. Teachers will expect students to be online prior to the start of the timetabled lesson, dressed appropriately. Students should not eat
or drink during the lesson. In broad terms, the expectations and norms do not change.
We aim to keep things simple. At present we plan to deliver online lessons by Zoom or Google Meet. The teacher will invite all students in a class to a conference call on Zoom/Google Meet and deliver the lesson accordingly.
Homework will be given to the students at the end of the lesson, as directed by the teacher. Resources such as PowerPoint presentations, documents and PDFs will be made available too.
Teachers will ensure students understand how to access lessons, materials and submit work.
The expectation is that students will submit work before or by the deadline set. Students will be informed of the format in which work is to be submitted, i.e. a Word document or JPEG.
Homework will be marked diagnostically, and students given feedback either in the online lessons, by email or in 1:1 Coaching conversations by Zoom/Google Meet. All word processing software has ‘comment’ capability and teachers will also use this.
The UK universities admissions process (UCAS) will be started online with Year 12 as usual at this time of year, and they will all open their personal UCAS accounts through Earlscliffe.
Mrs Fitzpatrick will lead this initiative leading Group Tutors, culminating in Year 12 students having completed their Personal Statements by the end of the summer term.
Year 13 students will continue to receive UCAS support and counselling as required in order to make fully informed choices when selecting their final two university choices from the offers received.
There will be continued provision of cultural activities on Wednesday afternoons and at other times led by our staff. Information about provision will be communicated directly to students.
Wednesday afternoon activities for Hilary Term:
Physical health
We encourage all students to take regular exercise and to record their output. The more competitive can compare their performance to that of their friends. Regular exercise will not only maintain fitness but also reduce stress and anxiety.
Mental health and well-being
Our School Nurse, Mrs Nancy Kanja will be writing to all students with advice on how to stay ‘healthy in mind’ in the coming weeks. She will be suggesting a variety of strategies informed by medical best practice. Students will also continue to support each other admirably throughout a challenging period, as they always do.
These remain as published: Wed 06 January – Fri 26 March and Mon 19 April – Thursday 24 Jun 2021, although the end of term will be extended in case any external exam requirements fall beyond 24 June.
No lessons on Monday 3 May which is a UK public holiday.
For those students on student (Child or Student) visas, we are informed that we, the school, can mark any physical absence as ‘authorised’ without it having a negative impact on a future visa application, i.e. for UK university. Furthermore, we will have the attendance records of our online lessons as evidence if needed.
Although for many the virtual learning world will be new, for most young people the use of technology in daily life is a familiar one. There are significant advantages to the online world when applied correctly to a learning context, and here are a few of them.
Clearly, flexibility is the most obvious advantage. Without the physical restrictions of a traditional classroom the opportunities to expand learning, research and note-taking in your own time and in your own style are evident. Being able to keep notes on a cloud or thread work through platforms such as Google Docs gives learners scope to track and follow information in a way they are most comfortable with; in a time-frame they can set, to an extent.
Working from a house or set study area at home can boost focus as the environment is often more familiar or more comfortable for the learner. Frequent breaks that can’t be afforded to learners in a physical classroom, and that have been proven to increase the retention and recall of knowledge, are much more realistically possible.
The individual learner has greater autonomy. They must be self-motivated, where required, and this promotes greater personal responsibility while nurturing self-reliance: all valuable skills outside of the classroom and with real-world application.
Learners can get instant access to materials, homework, answer keys, classwork and portfolio work. In many cases where work was submitted as hard copy both sides of the virtual classroom can track changes through soft copies and see progress more clearly.
Remote learning allows greater scope for all learning styles and preferences. Shier, more reticent learners have time to formulate responses and often find their voice. Everyone has more time to understand
and respond to questions and queries as it’s easier to revisit what has been asked or set.
Teachers and learners have far greater opportunities to bring their personality in to the classroom. The online space allows for the inclusion of blogs, video conferencing (a useful tool in the modern business world), animation, social media, storyboards, forums and other innovative technology. The freedom in a virtual classroom allows for more creativity and broader, global perspectives to be woven into lessons.
There is and has to be, wider scope for assessment. New possibilities are opened for formative assessment and assessments of factual understanding can be automated. This all frees up time for more meaningful interactions between learners and instructors.
The virtual learning environment is an inclusive one. Not just for the student body but for the campus. Campus resources can be integrated as academic and student support services are directly integrated in to the design of the virtual lesson. Students and faculty have limitless options for diverse and enriching learning activities and opportunities.