Learning at Home

This part of our website contains the essential information that will help students to work at home and enable them to access everything that they need to learn effectively. 

If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please contact Tech Support via our online form.

You can also access Microsoft Office 365 using your Games Console or Smart TV, by following the instructions in the guide below.

Using Games console or Smart TV to access Office 365

Go4Schools

We use Go4Schools, a web-based system, to share information with parents and carers about student attendance, behaviour, homework and progress. If the school has to close because of a lockdown or if classes/year groups have to isolate, Go4Schools is the way in which work will be set for students.

Where classes are running as normal, but individual students are having to isolate, they will be able to find the work they need to complete in the Covid and Intervention Centre Work folder on the Learning Portal. 

We suggest that students structure their time working at home around their normal school timetable and complete the work that has been set for them. Go4Schools will be the main means by which class teachers will set tasks and help to structure learning when whole classes or year groups are working at home. Please remember this information can be accessed via the Go4Schools website: www.go4schools.com and app. However, some file formats function better via the website.

If students or parents have forgotten their password, they will need to reset it using the link on the Go4Schools website, as the school cannot. Please follow the instructions in the guides below.

 

Go4Schools Students' Guide

Go4Schools Parents' Guide

 

Email

It is absolutely crucial that students know their full email address. Students can email their teachers if they are struggling with work that has been set on Go4Schools, or if they cannot access the resources they need to study effectively at home.

Guidance on the format of email addresses can be found below. 

Email address guidance

OneDrive

Students can save their work on Microsoft OneDrive. Students have plenty of free storage space available and guidance on how to save work is provided below.

 

OneDrive how-to-guide

 

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is an online platform. It provides opportunities for online face-to-face sessions to enhance learning where it is appropriate. Teachers will notify students of the need to join a Teams meeting via Go4Schools.

If classes are not able to be taught in school, some teachers will be running online lessons via Teams, so that they can provide feedback and support where necessary. It is important that, before the lesson, students download the Microsoft Teams app using the guidance below, and read the protocols for how to behave online. 

 

Microsoft Teams Student Guidance

 

Teams - updating/uninstall/re-install


Teams for Windows

Teams for Mac

Teams for mobile/tablet devices

Learning Portal

There are many resources on the Learning Portal, which can be accessed via the school website. The link is at the top right of the screen and students can log in with their full school e-mail address and then the username and password that they usually use on the school network. The video above shows you how to access all the resources that departments have made available on the Learning Portal. For students who have exams coming up, they will be able to find past papers, model answers and advice on exam technique.

 

Microsoft Stream 

Microsoft Stream is an online platform through which teachers can share videos and screencasts. The school has access to many engaging videos that link to key areas of the curriculum. Links will be provided to these, where appropriate, via Go4Schools. Guidance on how to access Microsoft Stream is provided below.

 

Microsoft Stream Student Guidance

 

Microsoft OneNote Class Notebook

Microsoft OneNote Class Notebook is a quick and easy way for teachers and students to share documents with each other. This can also be downloaded for free by the students. Instructions on how to do this can be found in the video above. 

 

GCSEPod

GCSE Pods is an invaluable resource for English. Every student at Northgate High School is able to access it for grammar revision and from Year 9 onwards, it is ideal for furthering our students' understanding of the novels and plays we study in depth.

 

GCSEPod Northgate Student Guide
 

Camscanner

This is a brilliant app that can be downloaded onto a smartphone (free of charge). Students can use it to scan and send work to their teacher that they have done in a book or on paper so that the teacher can check it or provide feedback.
 

Microsoft 365

The school provides free access to all of the Microsoft 365 programmes to all students at the school. Guidance on how to access and download Microsoft 365 is provided in the video above.

How to be an effective learner

This comprehensive video highlights effective learning habits and helps students to revise for tests and exams in a productive way. The screencast video above is aimed at students in Years 9-11 and is a good thing for students and parents/carers to watch together. However, it will also help Years 7-8 prepare effectively for tests and key assessments. For sixth formers, more detailed advice can be found on the Sixth Form website.