The Highlands College approach to remote learning 

Key Points: 

• The College has established online remote learning systems to ensure learning can continue.  
• Our tutors will use their professional judgement to guide individual approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. 
• Teaching is likely to include a varied mix of practice including digital assignment setting, webinars, chat discussions, voice calls, recorded presentations, screen sharing and videoconferencing as required. 

• Awarding bodies are regularly updating guidance but will require clear evidence of student performance to issue qualifications.  
• Students should still aim to achieve high grades on assignments whilst working remotely.  
• The use of summative assessment tracking systems and target setting will still continue. 
• College assessment activities related to qualifications and statutory requirements are still necessary. 
• Student attendance online and progress with assignments will continue to be recorded by the College team. 

• Students should aim to be online and prepared to learn within usual timetabled slots unless otherwise informed, this includes meetings such as learning support one to ones.   
• Central College teams will also be contact with students regularly, to update our community and gather information; this will enable the College to foster open communication, learn from experience and adapt our practice.  

Ensuring student progress   

The core purposes of planning, assessment and feedback are to help tutors secure high-quality educational experiences for students. During the remote learning period this practice will continue, albeit in a different form. 

The main focus of assessment activity when online will be on providing formative assessment feedback to students. The purpose of this assessment will be to inform the development of future learning.  Our key principle is that only assessment useful to students will be undertaken. 

Feedback on previous work may be possible, feedback on current and future work is an expectation. However, the tutor’s professional judgement will determine how any feedback, including marking, is given. This should be guided by the tutor’s evaluation of the learning needs of students and the nature of the activity being undertaken 

Tutors may choose to augment their online provision by providing students with work in physical formats, such as worksheets or activities in textbooks. For some students, this may be necessary in order to meet their needs.  

Tutors will continue to ensure that they are planning activities that are worthwhile. The College has in place arrangements during normal College hours for catch-up discussions tutors and their line managers. These discussions will allow sufficient opportunity for professional reflection on the range of activities being provided for students. 

The College recognises that many students and others in their households will be experiencing significant stress and uncertainty at this time. Remote learning expectations of students will recognise that the demands on parents and other adult members of student’s families at present may make it difficult for them to provide an environment conducive to extensive periods of home learning. 

It is particularly important that the College continues to contribute to the welfare and emotional wellbeing of students who are not attending on-site provision. General pastoral and welfare issues may also be integrated appropriately into online lessons. 

Staff who become aware of any safeguarding concerns will continue to follow the College’s established safeguarding procedures. 

Permissions and GDPR 

There has been no suspension or relaxation of requirements on Colleges in respect of the protection of personal data. Therefore, we will ensure that we apply existing policies and protocols. 

Recordings of online sessions and interviews with students are defined as protected data under current legislation and cannot be collected, stored or retrieved without permission. Tutors should gain this permission should they intend to use video as a source of assessment evidence of wish to record an online class featuring student participation. 

The role of the Tutor 

Tutors are also facing the same stress and anxiety about their own wellbeing and that of their families, whilst ensuring learning continues remotely. We ask that stakeholders be mindful of this and treat tutors reasonably and fairly. 

Our tutors are asked to: 

• Make themselves available to students remotely within timetabled slots where possible 
• Continue to Plan and provide learning opportunities  

• Continue to assess student performance and feedback as required  
• Continue to mark assignments and course work in line with awarding body requirements  
• Continue to Mark registers and update College records such as Advantage and Esubs 
• Continue to work with stakeholders such as parents and external bodies  

Tutors may need to make adjustments given the current circumstances , in those cases the Head of Department and Assistant Principal will be made aware, students dually informed of changes.  

The College has also introduced a system of support for tutors online ranging from training, one to one and team meetings alongside a remote working community of practice. This community provides tutors a platform to share ideas and support one another. 

Remote working is new to the College as such we will face challenges, but our aim is clear; Learning continues, and our students are supported.