Student Online Learning
Digital technologies have become integral to the lives of children and young people, both within schools and outside school. These technologies provide powerful tools, which open up new opportunities for everyone. They can motivate, inspire discussion, promote creativity and stimulate awareness of context to promote effective learning. Young people should have an entitlement to safe internet access at all times.
At Holmfirth High School we provide all students with appropriately filtered and monitored access to the internet and a variety of ICT systems.
The school will take every reasonable precaution, including robust monitoring and filtering systems, to ensure that young people will be safe when they use the internet and ICT systems however, ultimately the school cannot be held responsible for the nature and content of materials accessed on the internet and using mobile technologies.
The school will try to ensure that students will have good access to digital technologies to enhance their learning and will, in return, expect the students to agree to be responsible users. A copy of the Student Acceptable Use Agreement that students acknowledge on Frog can be found below.
Online Learning Platforms
Below you can find a summary of a few of the main software packages we have available for students. We actively encourage parents to be involved in their children’s learning and knowing what resources are available to them can be very useful.
Microsoft Office 365 is the online platform from Windows that we use to communicate with students and use to create work for homework submissions. It includes the following programs that you’ll likely be familiar with: Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Excel. These are all hosted online, so you don’t need to download any programs as with previous versions of Microsoft Office programs. Students have free access to these programs through their school account.
Office 365 can be accessed via the school website by clicking on the 365 icon in the top right corner of the school’s homepage. Alternatively, a link can be found within Frog under the ‘My Learning’ tab.
Frog is our online VLE (Virtual Learning Environment). This is where most homework will be posted and expected to be handed in. All students will be provided login details, which will be their email address and password they use in school.
You will also be provided with login details that will allow you to monitor your student’s homework assignments. If you don’t have these details, please get in touch at: FrogHelp@holmfirthhigh.co.uk
GCSEPod is a revision tool used at KS4. It is a site full of small, 3-5 minute audio files students can listen to for their revision. Their class teachers will guide them to the most appropriate ones.
Access can be found at: www.gcsepod.com or via Frog under the ‘My Learning’ tab.
A useful parents guide can be found here:
https://pages.theaccessgroup.com/Parent-Quick-Start-Guide.html
Kerboodle is an online resource we use to access textbooks, revision guides and activities. Login details are provided by relevant class teachers when homework or revision is set. To access the site you can find it here: www.kerboodle.com
Sparx Maths is the primary site the Maths department use to assign homework. It is an online platform with maths questions and support to hone your student’s mathematical ability. Login details for this will be provided by your student’s maths teacher. Please email them directly if you have any login issues.
Here is a useful introduction to the site and how it works: https://sparxmaths.com/parents/
Sparx Science is, as you would expect, similar to Sparx Maths but for Science classes. Again, login details will be provided by class teachers at the appropriate time.
Massolit is a KS4 revision site used by the History and English department. It hosts lectures and videos that help students to revise targeted topics their teachers assign. Access to this can be found via Frog under the ‘My Learning’ tab or here: https://massolit.io/
Login details will be provided by class teachers.
The History department use Seneca Learning as a revision tool, as it has many useful resources such as quizzes to test students’ knowledge. Access is assigned by the History department so please get in touch with your student’s history teacher if you don’t have login details yet. Only used by Ks4 students.
Find Seneca here: https://senecalearning.com/en-GB/
This website is used by the English Department to develop students’ vocabulary in KS3. It is a fun way of learning new words and the construction of words from their root and the patterns of grammar in the English language. Login details will be given out by English teachers. This is the link to the website: https://www.vocabulous.co.uk/
This platform is used by the MFL department for homework assignments and for learning in school. It hosts textbooks, quizzes and other learning activities. MFL Teachers will provide login details. Access can be gained here: www.pearsonactivelearn.com
ONLINE SAFETY
All students will receive online safety education to help them understand the importance of safe use of technology and the internet – both in and out of school.
We also have a dedicated Online Safety area of our school website to support both students and parents.