Remote learning: strategies to tackle low engagement

Find out what steps you can take to help pupils and their parents/carers overcome barriers to engagement.

Last reviewed on 28 January 2021
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 40223
Contents
  1. Consider how you can provide support to overcome barriers
  2. "We're struggling to get set up on the tech" 
  3. "We don’t have a suitable device" 
  4. "My child isn't motivated to work"
  5. "I can't give my child the level of support you're asking for"  
  6. "My child can't keep up with the amount of work" 
  7. "My child has SEND and I'm struggling to support them" 

Consider how you can provide support to overcome barriers

How you tackle low engagement with remote learning will depend on the context of your school and what 'good engagement' looks like for you. 

However, many schools have told us the best first step is to speak to parents/carers to find out what barriers they're facing, and then see what steps you can take to overcome them.

It’s often difficult to get hold of the parents/carers of pupils who aren’t engaging with remote learning, but schools who’ve managed this have tried to: 

  • Speak to them over the phone or via video call
  • Talk to them when they come into the school office
  • Visit them on their doorstep

Here are some common challenges you may come across in your discussions and the steps you can take to try and overcome them.

Write instructions for parents and/or pupils

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