Learning at Home

To support learning from home, we have put various measures in place; we are aiming to make it as easy as possible for pupils (and for parents supporting them) to continue their education. For pupils who do not have internet access, we will provide paper-based activities.

To quickly jump to a section, please click on the links below:

Resources to Support Learning at Home

Google Classroom Tutorials

Our very own Mrs Tanner has been very busy creating four amazing video tutorials for using Google Classroom – see the links below. They are informative, clear and allow you to listen and watch exactly what Mrs Tanner is doing. Thank you so much, Mrs Tanner! We hope you find these useful as you explore Google Classroom.

Google Classroom: Log on & join a class

Google Classroom: Completing work set

Google Classroom: Features

Google Classroom: Adding/creating work

School 360/Google Classroom

All pupils have access to the online learning platform School 360 (External URL); they have all been reminded of their log in details (in their planners). School 360 is a platform which pupils are familiar with.

Once logged in, pupils can access Google Classroom. Google Classroom is a website where teachers can add lessons and activities for pupils to complete at home.

To join classes, pupils should follow the below steps:

  1. Find www.school360.co.uk
  2. Log in using their username and password
  3. Click the link to ‘Classroom’
  4. This will re-direct them to ‘Google Classroom’
  5. Click the + in the top right corner and click ‘Join Class’.
  6. Enter the code for the classes provided (see codes below).

Once pupils have joined their classes (all class details are provided below), they can access their lessons set by their teacher. Daily work will be added for pupils and this should become part of your child’s routine. This work will also be marked using online feedback so that support can be provided.

On the School 360 site, pupils can also access a whole range of activities which have been set by their teachers. Quizzes have been set for all year groups for English, maths and science and pupils should aim to spend at least 30 minutes per day on these activities (free choice). These can be accessed through the School 360 platform via the ‘Frog Play’ and ‘J2e’ apps – pupils are again familiar with accessing this resource.

Google Classroom FAQs & Contact Details

Remember, we are always at the end of an email or phone there are many ways you can contact us:

Frequently asked questions regarding Google Classroom

  • Log into School360 using your username (first.last) followed by your password.
  • Follow the link to ‘Classroom’ – this should you log you in immediately.
  • Click the + and enter your class codes – these were sent on School Comms and paper last week.
  • Find the class and the assignments you need.
  • PDFs cannot be typed into – we have asked your teachers to avoid these where possible.
  • Open the assignment; open the worksheet or resource.
  • Click ‘Open in Google Docs’ where you should be able to edit your work.
  • This will save automatically. You can then ‘Turn it in’.
  • If you cannot do this, try typing your answers into a new Google Doc and submitting them.
  • Or, type up your answers and email them directly to your teacher using their 360 email address.
  • We have asked your teachers to make sure that assignments have an editable copy for each pupil and that all tasks are unlocked for editing. We are learning this, too, so we appreciate your patience.
  • Make sure you read the instructions your teacher has included in the assignment before you comment or email.
  • If you are still unsure, leave a message and keep checking back for the reply.
  • Email Mr Watters or the school’s admin address and someone will reply to you as quickly as possible.
  • Please do not panic. You just need to get your head around this. This is new for everyone. Please just try your best. As long as you know you are engaging with learning of any form, that is great.
  • Remember – keep reading and accessing sites such as Maths Whizz daily as a minimum.

Other Online Platforms & Expected Daily Activities

Pupils also have access to several other online platforms which they can use to progress their learning:

As part of your child’s daily routine, please build in time for the above sites to enable them to have regular practice. They will also enjoy these sites as they are engaging and used regularly in school.

French Activities

Mr Armstrong has provided a variety of activities and challenges to keep you busy in the downloadable document below.

How many can you do? Bonne chance!

Book Recommendations

Miss Prince has been collecting book recommendations for pupils, starting with her favourite book as a child: The Secret Garden.

More book recommendations, including some from HMS pupils, are:

The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan

‘A guy used to be a Greek God but he woke up in a dumpster in a New York alley as a 16 year old boy. He has to complete harrowing trials to become a God again. It is very exciting and quite funny.’

Johnny Masterman

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

‘I enjoyed reading Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. As a fan of the movies I thought I would enjoy the book, and I did. There was lots of suspense, action, good characters and most importantly, a large amount of dinosaurs, which is ultimately expected. I enjoyed it more than the film as well. I would recommend it to people who like dinosaurs and books.’

Zachary Marks

My Royal Story series by various authors

‘In Year 7 recently I have been reading the My Story books. I am really enjoying these books because they are like taking a dive into the past. There is a series of books and each one about a different era in the past.

These books are very good for anyone who looks for a mystery in their imagination or if you are looking for something different.
I love reading these because I like to imagine I’m in the past and what it would be like.

As well as these being a great series to read they are very educational in learning about history.

I would really recommend this series to children or adults from age 9 as there may be a few gruesome parts.’

Matilda Williamson

Get Creative!

Daily Activities include:

Observations:

  • To begin a drawing journal to record your experiences at home.
  • Draw your breakfast, lunch and dinner in as much detail as you can (for a whole week!) make your drawings all the same size. What if you created these drawings for 2-weeks or even a month! You could create a flip-book from your drawings. Imagine where all of this food has come from. See if you can do some research about the production of your food and trace its journey on a map.
  • Draw 5 objects in your house, draw them in different ways. Close up, from far away. On their own, in a pile, draw only the colour, draw only the texture. You could put the objects into a strong light source and draw the shadow. See if you can draw your 5 objects in 10 different ways.

Imagination:

  • Create an imaginative creature from the objects that you have collected. Take small sections of each object and create a monster-creature or a Jabberwocky.

Invention:

  • Take the 5 object drawings you have made. Could you cut them in half and bring 2 of them together to invent a new product or service? Redraw the parts added together in new and unique ways. Test out your ideas on your family/carers do they think you have a good idea? You may have invented something wonderful that we all need!

Adapting/recycling:

  • If you have a drink carton at home, peel off the skin of the packaging. If you are careful you can peel of a whole juice box. Once you have revealed the cardboard service beneath, use what you have to decorate it. You may use pattern, illustration, cartoons. Could you create a new drink idea?

Competition:

  • To create an Easter Egg entry to a competition for the most imaginative Easter Egg. The theme for the competition is ‘hope!’
  • You may wish to put a pin hole in the top and bottom of an egg and blow the egg out to leave only the (complete) shell. You may decorate this in any way you chose, paints, felts tips, add attachments etc. You may use more than one egg but remember to ask your parents/carers to cook the eggs you have blown. Don’t waste any food!

Creation:

  • To create an Omamori (lucky charm in Japanese) using found materials at home design and make your own lucky charm or amulet for people in your family. If you can make one why not try to make another, and more to include everybody.

Gathering:

  • If you have access to outside space go for a walk and see if you can collect interesting natural forms. Look out for mosses. Collect a little. Bring it home and see if you can create the colours that you see in the lichens and mosses. Can you make 10 drawings from a tiny piece of moss? You will need to look at the minute patterns and look very closely indeed!

Catalogue:

  • Draw every pair of shoes you have at home. Draw your trainers, sports shoes, sandals, boots can you design your own unique pair of shoes now? Add labels to explain your design decisions.
  • Do the same with your clothes. Draw 20 garments that you own. Draw them carefully. See if you can design better. Include the things you like about your clothes and change the details that you don’t.

Craft/sewing/re-making:

  • If you have an old piece of clothing at home and an un-picker. Unpick the garment. Lay the pieces out on the floor. If you or somebody at home knows how to sew, see if you can sew the pieces back together in new and unusual ways. Could a pair of trousers become a waist coat? Could a t-shirt become something completely different?
  • Patchwork. Have you got lots of old clothes at home (that your family say you can use). Cut them into small pieces and attach different squares together using a running or back stitch. See how big you can make your patchwork! See if you can get your family involved in the making.
  • Embroidery. Does someone at home know how to do embroidery. See some of the textiles they have made. See if you can learn some of their skills. Practice them. I will look forward to seeing the results in class.

Apple has published 30 fun, constructive and creative activities to do with the built-in features of an iPhone/iPad – see below for the full list!

Food Preparation and Nutrition: Home Learning Projects

These home learning projects are to be completed weekly. These are projects/tasks that will use researched information, as well as information you have studied in class.  You can use ICT to generate them, use PowerPoint or if you do not have computer facilities, you can create each homework by hand – remember to present them neatly using coloured pencils and fill your pages with detail.

You will be required to spend at least 45 minutes per homework task. Use books, the internet and magazines etc. to help you research. 

Week 1:  With current affairs, this is a good opportunity for us as a nation to think resourcefully and practically when it comes to the supply of food;  create a meal using the maximum of 5 ingredients.​ The ingredients could be from using ​only​ the ingredients you already have at home. Look at tins, staple foods such as flour, rice, pasta, potatoes etc and produce a meal that can feed your family. This is a good way for you to think resourcefully and to create a meal using basic ingredients that are cost effective, using foods we can store for a length of time and to store in the freezer. TAKE A PHOTO FOR EVIDENCE! 

Week 2:  Create a poster​ exploring seasonal foods from the UK only. For each of the FOUR seasons, suggest a well-balanced main meal that could be made using the ingredients discussed. You can design your page like a pie chart/ a table or however you would like to lay your work out – but it must be visual & interesting!   

Week 3:  Research and make a food product​ using the staple ingredient ​flour​ (gluten free flour or alternatives for dietary requirements if needed). This could be a loaf of bread, savoury scones, fresh pasta, biscuits, muffins, pizza etc.  Take a photograph for evidence.  

Week 4: Create a leaflet​ or informative poster identifying three special diets (e.g. some options to choose from are… vegan, vegetarian, coeliac, diabetic,  babies, pregnant women, elderly, religious, pescatarian…) that people may follow and explain why, with examples of foods that can and cannot be eaten in these diets. Include pictures, drawings, labels and plenty of information.

Mr Holdsworth has now set all pupils up with access to music resources on Google Classrooms (codes sent home on Wednesday 22nd April). Should you struggle to access these resources, they are provided here. Enjoy your music learning!

Mr Barry’s Daily Tasks!

PE Project Ideas

  • Year 8 – Athletes dietary plan for the Winter Olympics/Olympics/Euro Championships
    • As a budding athlete, you must create a training plan to show how you would prepare for a major sporting event
    • You must show the plans for the 6 weeks leading up to the event
    • Use the internet to research any existing plans that you could draw inspiration from.
  • Year 7 – Home fitness plan
    • Using your knowledge from the methods of training unit of work design a home workout you could do on your own or with your family
    • Draw out your circuit/ training plan to illustrate how you are staying fit during your time away from school
    • Make it as creative as possible using things around the house to help with the activities e.g- unopened bags of sugar as weights
  • Year 6 – Design a new sport and sporting event
    • In Year 6, we have studied a wide range of different sports during our TGFU (Teaching games for understanding unit of work)
    • Your game must be creative and like nothing seen before.
    • Your job is to create a game that includes all of the key elements of a game we looked at with our ‘Buzzword Pizza’
      • Attack
      • Defence
      • Decision making
      • Evasion
      • Tactics
  • Year 5 – Athlete study
    • In Year 5, we have looked at the TREDS values and what makes a great sports role model (Teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship)
    • Your task is to create a poster/ display all about your favourite athlete
    • Include: accomplishments, what makes them special, anything they do for their team/ sport/ community but most importantly how they meet the TREDS criteria

Training Plan

Day

Food consumed

Skill development

Muscles worked

Duration spent training

Monday

    

Tuesday

    

Wednesday

    

Thursday

    

Friday

    

Saturday

    

Sunday