Maesteg School’s Motivation Station – A Helpline for Learning at Home
Why?
Learning from home is not always easy. Many pupils will meet challenges that arise as a result of the new remote way in which they have to learn. Their home has become their classroom. From discussions with both pupils and parents we are aware that this experience can be more difficult for a whole range of reasons including:
· Knowing how to maintain a sensible routine, allowing for a healthy work-life balance;
· Finding the motivation to engage with the learning and finding a purpose in it;
· Feeling overwhelmed with the nature of the learning or disorganised in approaching it;
· Responding to the technological problems which can arise from TEAMS so that learners are comfortable with using all required aspects;
· Needing a further boost in a particular subject area from a teacher on a more one-on-one basis;
Teachers at Maesteg School want to ensure that we have done all we can at this time to keep our pupils able to learn. Whatever the barrier may be, we believe that working together to address it head on is always beneficial. In the week starting Monday 8th February, our school’s assembly and form time focus is ‘Take Back Control’. Our Motivation Station is one way that will help your child do this.
What?
Maesteg School’s Motivation Station is your chance to meet with a teacher and discuss in more detail the challenges your child is currently facing with respect to learning from home. You are able to book up-to-a-hour session which can take the form of an onsite meeting or a telephone conversation. During the exchange, you will have the opportunity to share with a teacher the way in which your child is experiencing remote learning and what may be impacting on it negatively. The teacher will act as your child’s advocate either offering some advice and guidance directly or contacting the professional in the school who is best placed to deal with your child’s problem. The conversation can involve yourself, you and your child or just your child.
Should a parent wish to be involved in the appointment, it must take the form of a telephone conversation or virtual meeting through their child’s school TEAM account due to current COVID restrictions
How?
To organise an appointment:
· If the barrier to your child learning at home is general, please contact either your child’s Progress Leader or SLT Link for the Year group:
Year 10 – Mrs Ward (Progress Leader) [email protected]
Year 10 – Mr Melbourne (SLT Link) [email protected]
Year 11 – Miss Morgan (Progress Leader) [email protected]
Year 11 – Mrs Cavendish (SLT Link) [email protected]
Year 12 – Mr Brooks (Progress Leader) [email protected]
Year 12 – Mrs Cavendish (SLT Link) [email protected]
Year 13 – Mr Brooks (Progress Leader) [email protected]
Year 13 – Mrs Cavendish (SLT Link) [email protected]
Please note that at this time we are only able to open the Helpline to examination year groups but hope to extend it to Year 7, 8 and 9 shortly. Should you be a parent of a child in those year groups, please contact your child’s form tutor to request further support.
· If the barrier to your child learning at home is linked to a specific subject, please contact the Director of Learning for that area:
English (including languages) – Mr R. Wilson [email protected]
Maths – Mr R. Melbourne [email protected]
Science – Miss K. Wadden [email protected]
Business / ICT – Mrs S Clarke [email protected]
Creative Arts – Mrs S James [email protected]
Health & Wellbeing (including PE) – Mrs J Heath [email protected]
Humanities – Mr S. Hogg [email protected]
Technology – Mr A. Davies [email protected] / Mr W. Jones [email protected]
Welsh Baccalaureate – Mrs S Clarke (KS4) [email protected] / Mrs Waters (KS5) [email protected]
· Your contact will be able to advise you who is available. It may be worth considering if your child already has a positive relationship with one of the volunteers and making the appointment with that person.
· You can request either a telephone call, a virtual meeting through Microsoft TEAMS or an onsite meeting at any point within the usual school day.
· If you are uncertain about how to proceed or require further information, please contact the school on 01656 815950 or email [email protected] where a colleague will be able to direct your enquiry to the right person.
Maesteg School’s Motivation Station is open from Thursday 4th February where a team of our teaching staff will be on hand to support you further.
