Remote Learning

At Harris City Academy Crystal Palace, we're committed to providing a consistent learning experience, regardless of location. Thanks to our investments and staff training, we can deliver lessons simultaneously in the classroom and online.

This means:

• No disruptions: If your child needs to learn from home (for any reason), they'll still attend all their scheduled lessons virtually, following the regular school timetable.
• Uninterrupted curriculum: Your child's learning journey won't be altered. They'll receive the same curriculum, expectations, and feedback, whether attending in person or online.
• Interactive learning: While we can't fully replicate the classroom environment online, we strive to deliver as close an experience as possible. Students can interact with teachers, ask questions, and receive real-time responses.
• Continued support: Students who usually receive additional or alternative provision will continue to do so virtually, whenever possible.

Extended absences? No problem! We can arrange for virtual attendance in Microsoft Teams for students with prolonged absences.

What to expect in online lessons:

• A mix of instruction and independent work: Lessons will follow a familiar format, with direct teaching by the teacher and dedicated time for students to complete assignments (written or online) independently.
• Active participation: Students are expected to attend lessons at their designated times, actively engage throughout, and respond to questions posed by the teacher.
• Attendance matters: Just like in the classroom, attendance and participation in online lessons are mandatory. Registers will be taken regularly.

With our innovative online provision, your child's education can continue seamlessly, whether they're learning from home or in school.

If students are having problems accessing lessons because of a lack of IT equipment, lack of access to the internet or a space to work, then please email us at info@harriscrystalpalace.org.uk setting out what the issues are.  We will contact you regarding the issues raised and will, where possible, provide resource to resolve the matter.

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Accessing Teams on Xbox, PlayStations and computers

Laptops and desktop computers

• Open your computer's web browser e.g. Chrome, Edge or Safari
• Visit www.office.com and sign-in with your school credentials
• Select Microsoft Teams from the app list on the left side of the screen
• Choose 'run in browser' if you do not wish to install the desktop app

Microsoft Xbox

• Open a web browser e.g. Microsoft Edge from My Games and Apps
• Visit www.office.com and sign-in with your school credentials
• Select Microsoft Teams from the app list on the left side of the screen

Sony Playstation

• Locate the internet browser and press the Playstation logo on your controller
• Go to Library and find Options for Games and Applications
• Go into Applications and install Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome
• Visit www.office.com and sign-in with your school credentials
• Select Microsoft Teams from the app list on the left side of the screen

You can also use this process to access the online versions of other Microsoft Office applications such as Word and PowerPoint. A USB keyboard and mouse will make this process a lot easier. Please note that your own webcam will not work, but you can still see your teacher's camera and shared screen. A headset will work for speaking and listening on both consoles. Other browsers may not work correctly.

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Useful Links

Vodaphone have produced a helpful guide for Parents and Carers to help keep students safe online. There is also information on ways you can make technology and the internet useful for your family and life at home.

https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/digital-parenting

Student Expectations for Online Lessons

Students are expected to attend to all online lessons on your timetable. Registers are taken at the start of each lesson, so it is very important you are logged on at the start, so teachers can mark you present. Students not attending lessons will be regarded as truanting and will result in phone calls home from our Attendance team.

Online lessons may require you to use equipment at home, such as pencils, paper, protractors etc. It is a good idea to have this equipment by your computer so it is easily accessible during lessons.

You can ask your teachers questions via the chat feature or through your microphone. If you have any trouble connecting or accessing work, email your teacher using their address in the Contact section of our website.

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Etiquette (how to act)

Your webcam will be disabled for lessons as a safeguarding precaution. Your microphone will still be active, so please ensure you have it muted at the start of the lesson and for the duration of your lesson, unless you are required to respond to a teacher's question or request.

All comments and messages to teachers should remain formal. This means you should not use slang or terms you might use with your friends. An example of a formal email can be seen below.

When using the chat feature, it is helpful to include the name of the person you are addressing at the start of each message. This allows the recipient to see messages directed at them in a busy chat with lots of other messages.