DfE has asked schools to publish information on their school website about how they are providing remote education information to parents. This is now one of the listed school website requirements as of February 2021.

So, what is the requirement and how do you meet it? Let's take a quick look through.

Template provided by DfE

DfE have very helpfully (genuinely!) created a template which can be used by schools as the basis for providing Remote Education Information to Parents. The template can be found at this link to the Gov website. It is aligned with the expectations for remote education which have also been set out by DfE.

The template includes information which should be customised to your setting. This is best practice on all policy content, schools should never take templated policy statements and merely adopt them as their own. Always customise to your setting.

Included in the template is information on what is being taught, what children should expect from school, details of the curriculum that will be taught. There is also information on how parents and students can engage with the process of online learning and details about pupils with additional needs.

You should ensure you update the content in every section if you adopt this template.

Where to put Remote Education Information to Parents on your website

Our suggestion on where to place the Remote Education Information to Parents on your website sits inline with all other content that follows statutory guidance. So, you need to think about where it will meet its intentions best. This content should be easy to find by both parents and inspectors.

Here are our suggestions for where to add this content to your website.

On your Dedicated COVID-19 Page

Most schools have a dedicated COVID-19 page on their school website. A central place for all your content; a single reference point for your school community. Add this information to this page on your website.

In terms of how to add this content; export the completed template as a pdf and use the Schudio Document Groups feature to ensure the document can be read on any device without the need to download.

On your Policies Page

Also, add a copy of this to your policies page. This will mean that everyone looking for this content will be able to find it in one of two locations.

Again, use the Schudio Document Groups feature to ensure best practice for users. You will also only need to update the file once should the policy change. Our software will then update the file wherever you have added the policy. This is vital to ensure you do not have different versions of the same policy dotted around your website.

A Final Thought ...

Remember that it is likely this content will be inspected at some point in the future.

When the dust has finally settled there will very likely be an expectation on schools to demonstrate the effectiveness of their online provision. This policy will likely form the basic of any inspection. As with anything, inspectors and their research teams will review your website and check what you say you will do. They will then look for evidence, both on your website and during an inspection, that you have done what you said you would.

This policy will most likely be no exception to that approach. So, be prepared.

As always, drop us a line with any questions and, if you'd like to go deeper download the latest version of The School Website Requirements Guide.