Advice to parents and carers

• establishing routines and expectations

• defining a space for your child to work in

• monitoring communications from teachers

• remind child of their check-in time.

• taking an active role in helping your children process their learning

• encouraging physical activity and/or exercise

• checking in with your child regularly to help them manage stress

• monitoring how much time your child is spending online

• keeping your children social, but set rules around their social media interactions.

These responsibilities should be adjusted according to the age of your child:

• establishing and/or following a daily routine for learning

• identifying a safe, comfortable, quiet space in their home where they can work effectively and successfully

• regularly monitoring digital platforms and communication (Microsoft Teams and Class Dojo's) to check for announcements and feedback from teachers

• completing tasks with integrity and academic honesty, doing your best work

• doing their best to meet timelines, commitments, and due dates

• communicating proactively with their teachers if they cannot meet deadlines or require additional support

• collaborating and supporting their classmates in their learning

• complying with the departments' Student use of digital devices and online services policy

• seeking out and communicating with school staff as different needs arise.

Try to create a quiet and comfortable learning space. Your child may have a regular place for doing homework under normal circumstances, but this space may not be suitable for working in for an extended period of time.

A space/location for extended learning should be a public/family space, not in a bedroom. It should be a place that can be quiet at times and have a strong wireless internet signal, if possible. Above all, it should be a space where you or another adult is present and monitoring your children's learning.

Refer to our Learning environment checklist (PDF 81KB) for more advice.

It's a good idea to have a schedule or timetable for their learning. This should include regular breaks for activity, eating and drinking. In the activity breaks, it is important that students get up and move around.

From the first day you will need to establish routines and expectations. You should use the timetable or schedule provided by your school to set regular hours for school work.

Keep normal bedtime routines for younger children and expect the same from your older primary and high school-aged children too.

It is important that you set these expectations as soon as distance learning is implemented, not several days later after it becomes apparent a child is struggling with the absence of routine.

For more information, refer to Remote learning guidelines for students and parents (PDF 186KB).