COVID Intensive Learning Support small group tuition continues in Terms 3 and 4 as part of a school's essential learning practice. Best practice small group learning involves groups of 2-5 students, sessions that are 20-50 minutes in duration and continue to occur at least 3 times per week.

As part of ongoing practice, it is recommended schools monitor and adjust the program to ensure the continuity of learning, assessment and employment of educators.

Schools in Greater Sydney are advised to continue small group tuition using their remote learning resources and programs as part of the school’s core curricula.

Schools in Greater Sydney should use the same methods for their educators as they do for their classroom teachers in continuing the delivery of learning and small group tuition. Online tuition delivered by non-teacher educators working from home and students learning from home will be under the guidance and supervision of a teacher.

School requiring guidance or assistance in accessing technology are advised that questions in relation to devices and equipment support should be directed to it.icr@det.nsw.edu.au.

Schools in level 4 restrictions can place requests for additional equipment.

Video guidelines

• While working remotely, it is important to follow the Guidelines to support schools using live video with students (PDF 234KB) to ensure student safety and privacy is maintained.
• You can also review the Microsoft Stream acceptable usage if your school is using it.

Remote learning guidelines

• Providing a clear overview of the role of the educator and expectations of their work
• Approving lesson content and review of the lesson following
• Attendance at lessons to support assessment and monitoring of student progress
• Providing clear record keeping guidelines
• Practices for regular check in and guidance of staff
• Clear processes for staff to provide feedback on their lessons

Support for learning continuity can be found on Learning from home.

Small group tuition recommendations

Practices

Schools should consider flexible approaches to engage and maintain student’s participation in small group lessons consistent with the schools learning from home approach and department advice.

Schools should keep and adjust their current priorities during the current COVID environment.

• Consider what adjustments and differences are necessary to maintain an ability to keep their educators employed by the school.
• Consider what adjustments can be made to support and maintain a connection between student and tutor.
• Consider how tuition is adapted and delivered, its approach and the type of tuition, its location and timing by the school and educator that will support educators to maintain engagement and employment.
• Consider what adjustments are necessary to maintain and support student learning within their intensive learning support program. What can or should be done differently in order to maintain student interest and engagement in their learning? What new approaches to learning can be enacted to adjust to the current circumstances?
• Consider what adjustments are necessary to student assessment. Timing, location, type and delivery of assessment may all need to be re-evaluated to allow appropriate student assessment to continue.

Schools continue to have a plan in place if educators are unavailable to attend a school due to cold or flu-like symptoms.

Strategies

If principals in Greater Sydney decide to deliver small group tuition online then they should:

• advise parents that educators will be delivering small group tuition online with supervision and guidance from a teacher
• advise parents that sessions will not run if only 1 student is in attendance.
• ensure schools deliver supervision within the Remote learning guidelines section above

Schools may consider the following flexible strategies to support their school. These suggestions are intended as prompts to enable flexibility within schools planning:

• Access the CILSP Microsoft Teams site for further collegial insights and support ideas. Join the COVID ILSP Microsoft Team.
• Consider how the current approach may be adapted into and online or remote approach.
• Consider reorganising educator, teacher or SLSO roles during learning from home phase to suit the schools online learning capabilities and approach
• Reorganise groups to support students who may be attending school or who have different levels of access at home.
• Packages sent to students at home, to support continued learning from home can be supported by educators
• Consider new approaches; such as educators making phone calls to check in on students work
• Flexible teacher time is created when implementing the daily model.