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Resources to support your children with their education when they return to school after lockdown

Here are some resources you might find helpful to support your children with their education when they return to school after lockdown

Make use of all the resources available to you, from the BBC Schools programmes for primary and secondary-age children:

BBC Bitesize

Did you know? Children can access Google Classroom on an Xbox or PlayStation!

Here’s how you can do it [information source]:

Xbox: click to reveal instructions
  1. Plug a keyboard in to the Xbox USB slot
  2. Go in to my games and apps
  3. Find Microsoft Edge and select
  4. Type in: Hwb and log in as you would in school
  5. You can then access your work through Google Classroom or OneDrive and use key packages including:
    • Word
    • Teams
    • Excel
    • PowerPoint
    • Your emails
  6. To move around you use the Xbox controller or plug in a mouse
Playstation: click to reveal instructions
  1. Identify the PlayStation internet browser icon (it is WWW with dots around it)
  2. Press the PlayStation logo on the controller
  3. Go to the library and find options for games and applications
  4. Go in to applications and you will find the internet browser
  5. Type Hwb into the browser and log in as you would in school
  6. You can then access your work through Google Classroom or OneDrive and use key packages including:
    • Word
    • Teams
    • Excel
    • PowerPoint
    • Your emails

Other useful resources

Oak National Academy

Online Classroom: Nearly 10,000 free video lessons, resources and activities, covering most subjects, from Reception to Year 11

Access online classroom

UCL Centre for Educational Leadership

Online learning resources free resources that may be helpful for teachers, school leaders, parents/carers and young people.

Access online learning resources

Where can I get a laptop from?

From January 2021, the Department for Education will increase the help available through its get help with technology programme. Disadvantaged children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are included within this offer.

Parents, carers, and pupils cannot apply for digital devices or internet access through this scheme themselves. They should contact their school to discuss requirements for accessing remote education.

However, if specialist support and equipment are required – help may be available through the Family Fund.

Many local charities are also providing laptops for families and carers, so you can check locally to see if there is a scheme in your area.

Local Assistance Scheme/Local Welfare Fund

Each local authority administers its own local social fund with its own rules. There are no national guidelines. Payments from local welfare funds come from a fixed local budget and there is no automatic right to help. To find out about the provision where you live you should contact your local council.
 
In Wales, please see: the Welsh government’s discretionary assistance fund page.

Can I get any help with paying for internet/broadband?

The Department for Education is providing a range of support through its get help with technology programme.

This scheme temporarily increases data allowances for mobile phone users on certain networks. This is so that children and young people can access remote education if their face-to-face education is disrupted.

Schools, trusts and local authorities can request mobile data increases for children and young people.

Children with access to a mobile phone on one of the following networks might be able to benefit:

• Three
• Smarty
• Virgin Mobile
• EE
• Tesco Mobile
• Sky Mobile

Other providers may join the scheme at a later stage.

The Department for Education is also giving schools, trusts and local authorities 4G wireless routers that they can lend to disadvantaged children in the event of disruption to education.

Please contact your school to ask for help with all technology queries.

Keeping Active!

Joe Wicks’ PE with Joe. Get up and join in!

Fun Activities for all ages

Book Trust HomeTime: Looking for something fun as a family? Enjoy storytime with free online books and videos, play games, win prizes, test your knowledge in book-themed quizzes, or even learn how to draw some of your favourite characters. For our Welsh carers’, click here.

Woodland Trust: Get involved with Nature! Even though there are restrictions on leaving home, we can all go out for an hour’s exercise, local to where we live. Check out the ideas for exploring nature from the Woodland Trust. You don’t even have to go outside for some of these as there are lots of nature-related indoor activities too.

40 Fun Things to Do: More resources from Wales – but we can all share them!