BLENDED LEARNING

At St Thomas’ we aim for all our children to develop a love for Computing by instilling a sense of enjoyment around using technology and to develop pupil’s appreciation of its capabilities and the opportunities technology offers to create, manage, organise and collaborate.

What is Blended Learning?

Blended learning is a holistic educational approach, combining individualised support with technology to empower pupils to take responsibility for their own learning. The term ‘blended learning’ describes a teaching style that employs a combination of technology and online learning opportunities to assist in the classroom, whilst pupils also reap the benefits of traditional hands-on and in-person lessons. It also provides tailored and targeted home learning opportunities for children.

Blended learning uses a variety of learning environments to engage and interact with pupils. These learning environments include:

Face to face teaching
Discussion groups
Group break outs in and around the classroom
Supervised online learning
In classroom computers and I pads accessing learning opportunities
Remote learning
Interactive white boards

At St Thomas’ C of E Academy, we believe great adaptive teaching is the most important lever our school has to improve the outcomes for our pupils.

What is Enhanced Blended Learning Approach at St Thomas' C of E Academy?

Children’s learning is not restricted to school; the whole world is their classroom as other adults, friends and family are educators in different ways to teachers. Children have values, skills, knowledge ad interests which can in turn enrich school. Taking a holistic view of children’s lived experiences of learning and supporting this experience in its broadest sense we need to capitalise on the learning experiences which take place both in and out of school. At St Thomas’ C of E Academy, we can retain the pupil–teacher learning relationship whilst taking education beyond the classroom and further enabling children to learn anytime and anywhere. We are using digital technology and interactive software to create exceptional learning opportunities to enhance teaching and learning. The model of an enhanced blended learning will offer our children:

Flexibility for where the children can learn
Potential for high quality consolidation of learning
Opportunities to develop and improve their skills in working independently
Increased opportunities for personalisation in learning
Opportunities for improved engagement
Enhanced parental engagement in their child’s learning away from school