Dear Parents/Carers,

Further to our first FAQ release last week, I would like to provide a further update. In the event that you have a query not addressed in this post, please check last week’s release first. If your query is not addressed there, please use the Contact Us page to raise any concerns.

First FAQ Guidance – https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/ea/stjosephsacademy/2020/03/25/frequently-asked-questions/

Contact Us Page – https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/ea/stjosephsacademy/contact-us/

I hope that you have found online delivery of content to be helpful over the course of the past week. I think there is recognition across our school community of the fact that online delivery cannot reflect the classroom experience. I wish to reiterate the point made last week around all of us maintaining realistic expectations of one another during the school closure period. Nevertheless, staff have worked very hard to upload a wide range of content across Groups, Teams and Google Classrooms and I would like to once again thank colleagues for their efforts.  I would also like to thank you and our pupils for continuing to engage with the content shared via Glow.

Timetable Change

We were originally due to change timetable on the 27th April. Our timetable change date is one of the earliest in Scotland. Most schools change in mid to late May or early June. In the current circumstances, it will not be possible to change timetable on the 27th April, as there is a significant amount of IT work behind the scenes which needs to be accounted for first. During the closure period, the systems we would use are not entirely accessible and it is not possible for the staff who would usually work together on this task to do so remotely.

There is also a need to consider how we setup new online learning groups when unable to synchronise data with the school management system. For this reason, our timetable will not change any earlier than Monday 11th May. Even then, we need to come to a collegiate agreement around whether or not we are in a position to upload enough content for new courses at that point. At the moment, no staff can access the school and the overwhelming majority of our resources are on school servers. For obvious reasons remote access to servers is prioritised for those staff working with vulnerable pupils and for systems critical staff within the local authority.  As I am sure you will understand, there is significant pressure on broadband connections in general at the moment and no school level server is setup to support mass remote access.

In the days prior to closure, staff may have had time to transfer files for the courses currently on offer, but this was not possible for all content or content delivered at the start of a new session.  It should also be noted that we would not ordinarily offer direct teaching to the vast majority of our new S4-S6 during May, as they are usually on study leave. This presents another challenge when trying to set a timetable change date that is realistic for all.

Over Easter, members of the SLT will work on the timetable, and within the constraints that exist, will attempt to upload the relevant data to SEEMIS (our school management system). If we get to that point without further issue, we will be in a position to consult with staff on the viability of going live online in mid-May.  It should be noted that we are considering contingency plans that would allow for access to third party generic resources. Young people would be issued with links and would be encouraged to work on certain parts of courses, but regular uploading of content associated with the early part of courses cannot be guaranteed at this stage. A further update will follow after the Easter break. We are working to find solutions, but as is the case in many industries, there are unique challenges that this closure period presents in terms of logistics and planning for schools.

SCHOLAR Access

Some parents have asked about granting access to SCHOLAR materials. SCHOLAR can be accessed via Glow and is an online learning tool for Maths, English, Science, Modern Languages and Computing. Pupils already studying those subjects can access SCHOLAR at the moment.

After the Easter break we will provide details on how to access SCHOLAR for courses our pupils intend to study next session but are not currently completing. This will perhaps negate some of the issues listed earlier for some of our learners. Doing so beforehand is not necessary, as young people are yet to migrate to new courses and have content to complete that has been issued by their class teacher.

This would allow our current S4 and S5 pupils to access content for some of their new courses. However, it will not allow staff to monitor progress within SCHOLAR. This is not possible until we formally change timetable. There is some uncertainty around providing access to our current S3. Originally, SCHOLAR offered a time limited 28 day access period. We are working to establish if this time limit has been removed for our S3 pupils. If it has been removed, we will also issue S3 with access codes after Easter.  We felt it counter intuitive to allow S3 access only for it to be revoked a short time later.

SQA Estimates

As you know, the SQA released a statement and a FAQ guide this evening.

SQA Statement – https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/ea/stjosephsacademy/2020/04/02/sqa-update-thursday-2nd-april-2020/

SQA FAQ Guide – https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/ea/stjosephsacademy/files/2020/04/SQA-Parent-and-Carer-FAQ-Guide.pdf 

I would like to refer to point 2a in the FAQ guide:

2.a. How will exams be certificated this year?

We are asking teachers and lecturers at schools and colleges across the country to use their
professional judgement, and knowledge of your work, to make an estimate of the grade and
band. This will be based on learners’ demonstrated and inferred attainment of the required
skills, knowledge and understanding for each course at National 5, Higher and Advanced
Higher.

This will provide SQA with the information needed to allow us to adjust estimates where
necessary, to ensure consistency both across the country, and in comparison with previous
years.

We will provide detailed guidance to schools and colleges on how to determine and submit
this estimate information after Easter, and by 20 April 2020.

As a result of the above, we are not in a position to provide any further guidance at this point. In the interim, pupils currently in S4-S6 should continue to engage with the content issued on Glow via their class teachers. We will release more details as they become known later in the month. What we do know is that the date for submission of estimates has changed to May 29th.

S1 Reports

In discussion with the local authority, chair of the Parent Council and professional associations, we have taken the decision to postpone S1 reports which were due to be issued in mid-May. While working from home, teaching staff cannot access the system by which reports are submitted.  It is also the case that much of the assessment data used to inform reports is in school and/or on computer systems we cannot access.  We had considered a manual process, but there is no practical or manageable way to gather and issue 1700 different subject reports without access to the reporting system.

In the event that the school re-opens before summer, we will work to issue reports prior to the summer break and in consultation with all teaching staff. In the event that this is not possible, we will look to move the date of either our S2 Parents’ Evening or S2 reports to earlier in the new academic session pending the approval of our Working Time Agreement for session 2020/21.

Pupil Participation in online learning and access to devices

While we have noticed that a significant number of young people have managed to engage in online learning, we are acutely aware of the fact that some learners have not engaged so far. Can I ask that you check in with your son/daughter to make sure that they have replied to any teacher requests to let staff know that they are online and receiving content. After Easter, we will begin supportive check-ins with those young people we have not heard from via online contact this week.

We are still attempting to make contact with some families of young people we believe are without a device. We hope to have made contact with all by tomorrow and will liaise with individual families directly in relation to how we can get devices to you during the Easter break.

Easter Break

I am sorry if the above post appears to only offer bad news or further uncertainty. However, schools are not immune to the precariousness and difficulty experienced across society. In spite of the above, staff continue to work hard for the benefit of our young people.

We will now begin our Easter break, and I wish all associated with our school a peaceful and restful fortnight. I once again ask for the intercession of St. Joseph to keep you all safe during our time off.

Thank you for your ongoing patience and support.

Kind Regards

Mr Kane