Rydal Penrhos parents have reacted positively to the school’s online learning provision.

The ability to adapt has been an ongoing process throughout Rydal Penrhos over the last year. The ongoing worry surrounding COVID-19 has forced staff and pupils out of their normal routine thanks to the educational lockdowns, which has seen most of the school community embark on a thorough online learning provision that has ensured minimal loss to development despite the difficulties in the current climate.

With coronavirus cases continuing to fall and vaccine rollouts increasing across the country, the large majority of Rydal Penrhos pupils are now back in school and with the arrival of Years 7-9 on Monday 22 March, it will see the entire pupil population back on-site for the first time in 2021. They will be greeted with a safe and happy environment upon their return, with every possible precaution being taken to keep children happy and thriving.

Rydal Penrhos staff deserve an exceptional amount of credit for keeping pupils progressing in the right way from the comfort of their own homes. But there is simply no substitute for face-to-face learning and the benefits of interacting on a daily basis.

This outstanding approach to remote study has been reflected by a recent parent survey, which gave the school some deserved praised from family members who have been so supportive throughout the online period of study.

Quotes from the survey:

The availability and hard work put in by Mrs. D – truly exceptional- could not have asked for more.

Given the situation, there is a clear plan, good communication and fantastic execution.

I am very impressed with ingenuity shown by the teachers, cooking remotely was brave to take on and fun for the students.

The daily lessons and interaction with the teachers is good.

The support the teachers have given the students is excellent. I have also had regular contact and updates from the school which has been amazing and helped us monitor my child.

The support from the teachers has been second to none. If my child has any queries or does not understand something, he will contact the individual teacher, who always provides support. Also, the wellbeing sessions after the school day. I think the school has handled the lockdown so well, and we do not feel that our child has been disadvantaged by it. Thank you!

The technical set-up and online sessions work very well.

Lessons are well structured; teachers are ensuring that all pupils are engaged throughout the lesson. The amount of homework is manageable.

Active online lessons all day, but without excessive homework to be done outside of those lessons.

Online parents’ evenings work MUCH better than the chaos of face-to-face ones – we hope you will continue to do them online.

The timetable and schedule are very clear and straight-forward. Mrs. Culver has raised the bar to what we’ve known from our previous school to a level we never thought would have been possible. We are forever grateful for the lovely support for our child, which is not easy due to her being fairly new in class.

Structured timetable and online teacher presence. iPads have been fantastic.

Thanks for your digital efforts and moving to the Teams platform/iPads. Considering the whole crisis, we’re comforted to know that our daughter’s academic progress is continuing.