Teach Secondary 13.5

61 teachwire.net/secondary A new way TO THRIVE I remember my reaction in 2014, whenmy headteacher at the time was briefingme about the need for us to offer ‘alternative provision online.’ Online? Experienced, inner-city assistant head that I was, I remember thinking, ‘ Howwill they engage the students? A lot of thought will have to go into tracking andmonitoring their progress... ’ She explained to me then that this was different; that it would all be taught by qualified teachers, and that the outcomes were excellent. Fast forward to 2024, and I’m now an evangelist for how online settings can provide environments that are flexible, engaging and inclusive. Asolution for a challenging time As we know all too well, we’re currently contending with two substantial challenges in the education world – a growing demand for SEN assessment, and the post-pandemic uptick of emotionally-based school avoidance (EBSA). As teaching colleagues will know from our pandemic experiences, a particular skill set is necessary in order to teach effectively online. When I began teaching online myself, the first thing that hit me was the quiet – an unsuccessful lesson in the online space is likely to be one where there isn’t a great deal of engagement. You won’t be able to tell if your students have become overwhelmed or confused. Fundamentally, the successful online practitioner has to quickly build rapport, master concise exposition and deliver an impeccably paced lesson. Then, and only then, might you get the ultimate teenager compliment: ‘ Thanks sir/ miss – that lesson went really quickly, but I feel like we did a lot ’. You can also be more certain that next time, their camera will be on for longer. Adaptive teaching and tech development Many of the aspects involved in inclusive teaching via an online school will be instantly familiar, such as the need for careful modelling and scaffolding, supporting language acquisition and so on. Perhaps the biggest challenge that’s less commonly understood is the amount of thought that has to go into making learning accessible, so that we can reduce friction for young people with additional needs who are learning online at home, or online in a separate area at school. The tech has to wrap around them and guide them. The fact remains that the typical school is a very challenging sensory environment, what with the noise, bustle and myriad social relationships and negotiations. Many of the schools and commissioning services with whom I work will have initially approached us because these challenges have just proven too great for the young people in question. It’s therefore vital to not recreate that overwhelming sensory experience in your online classroom environment; otherwise, we’ll be providing no solution at all. All instructionmust be carefully thought through, broken down and dual coded. Tech tools must be integrated carefully, in a user-friendly way, with accessibility options provided for text-to- speech, speech-to-text and dyslexia-friendly formatting. The technology has to enable, and only be used where it will enhance teaching – not just because it’s novel. Recruiting and training specialist practitioners In a school like mine, where we use a bespoke platform with a lot to it, an extensive induction process and ongoing training will be required. That said, we do quickly get very good at teaching online effectively, because our school has recruited the right people. That is, fully qualified teachers who have chosen to work online, and are trained in connecting through screens. We currently have multiple applications per role, which is a good sign. We love to test things out and tweak things, so that we can better understand how tech-based teaching tools should be integrated. Inter-staff conversations are regularly abuzz with clever tips, advice and shared ideas for how to support specific students. It’s tremendously exciting to be involved in providing a truly inclusive school environment online. No longer is it a poorly thought- through alternative, but nor is it an instant panacea to the challenges we all now face in supporting our students. It’s now a serious alternative that’s truly here to stay. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ray Boxall is Head of SEN Services at Academy21 S E N D Ray Boxall explains how the practice of remote learning has come a long way – to the point where it’s now ideal for delivering alternative provision