Technology Enhanced Learning Strategy
At St John Fisher, our Technology Enhanced Learning Strategy (TELS) is designed to integrate technology into our educational framework, enriching the learning experience for our children. This comprehensive approach involves a variety of methods and engages numerous stakeholders, all united by a single goal: to elevate the educational journey of our students. By embracing innovative technological tools and techniques, we aim to prepare our children for success in the ever-evolving modern world.
Arbor
Arbor is now our main platform for communication between home and school. It provides a secure parent and guardian portal that brings together key school information in one central place, helping families stay informed, connected, and engaged in their child’s learning journey. Parents and guardians can access Arbor online through the Parent Portal using any internet browser, or by downloading the free Arbor Parent App. Within Arbor, families are able to view information such as their child’s attendance and punctuality records, school timetable, behaviour and achievement updates, and academic progress, depending on the features the school has enabled. Arbor also supports families in booking and managing important school events, including parent–teacher consultations, as well as providing details for school trips, clubs, and activities. Where applicable, parents and guardians may also be able to give digital consent and make payments for meals, trips, or other activities, based on the permissions set by the school. Each parent and guardian has their own secure login, linked to the email address we hold on file. First-time users will receive a welcome email from Arbor Education containing instructions to create a password and access the system. Additional support, including help logging in and updating contact details, can be found at the Arbor Help Centre. Staying connected has never been easier — whether at home on a computer or on the go using a mobile device, Arbor helps ensure you never miss an important update from school. To access the Parent Portal or download the app, simply click the button.
Microsoft Teams
& OneDrive
Each child has a Microsoft Team for each subject area, with Microsoft Teams being accessible from any device with an internet connection. Microsoft Teams is developing at St John Fisher and, therefore, some subject areas might use this technology more than others. In practical subjects, i.e. Computer Science and Design Technology, this technology might be used for classwork and therefore children can showcase work to their parent(s) at home, complete any work if they have been absent and revise effectively with all resources and completed work in once place. Microsoft OneDrive is a personal storage area for pupils to save work into which they have done which is not on Microsoft Teams. Whilst it is less likely pupils will use Microsoft OneDrive, compared to Microsoft Teams, it is important they remain organised and have their work saved in the correct folders with suitable file names. These two pieces of technology are pivotal in the modern world of work; meaning our pupils are developing vital employability skills via their secondary education thus actively being prepared for the next stage of their lives.
