Staff have been working to ensure RGS can give a full and inspiring blended learning curriculum online and in class, and students have been incorporating new ways of learning as they adapt to changing circumstances, some parents have felt left behind.

“Nearly half of parents with secondary school children report that they find it difficult to support their children’s learning at home, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies,” says RGS teaching and learning specialist Helen Mars, who leads parent training classes.

“This year, the focus on online learning suddenly became more urgent.

“Having used (Microsoft) Teams as a parent and a teacher, I thought it would be helpful to brief parents on the main ways their child would use it.

“Although pupils have all had training in school, it’s important to know as a parent how you can support your child and help them if they get stuck.

“It’s also very useful to check if their work is all done and what feedback they have received, just as you would if you looked in their exercise books or planner.”

Parents, who are sent a link which takes them to the virtual meeting, can discover where to find files, documents, assignments and tasks and how students submit work, as well as learning more about good practice for using the online space and in online lessons, with time for questions at the end.

Mrs Mars, who has also run an online evening course for more than 60 teachers and departments across Yorkshire the benefits of using Teams, said she was preparing to run further sessions according to demand or in the event of further or partial lockdowns.

Parent Karen McKeag, who has children in Year 10 and sixth form, said: “I feel it’s vitally important to know the resources available to help my children and the processes that are in place to assist them in working online - especially when there is potential for us to return to home schooling in this time of uncertainty.

“I presumed Teams was just used to communicate homework that needed to be completed and enable pupils to hand in their work electronically and was not aware of all the support my children can access.”