Practical information for virtual classrooms

To maximise opportunities for pupils to engage interactively during our live workshop, we ask teachers to conduct a straightforward activity with their class prior to the workshop. We will provide an appropriate ready-made lesson plan for this, with a variety of support resources such as art and crafts templates, images, subject information sheets and fact sheets about key museum artefacts. In addition, we will provide a self-led, post-workshop follow up activity. Across our pre, live and post activities, we have incorporated elements that will promote team work between pupils, encourage use of imagination and good wellbeing, for example; quizzes, role play, crafting, drawing, discussions and decoding puzzles.

We will be using Microsoft Teams as our delivery platform as it offers a secure and simple way for teachers to connect with us virtually. It works well on a variety of hardware, so all you will need is a laptop or computer with a built-in camera and microphone, a large display screen or projector, and access to a reliable internet connection. When you sign up you will be sent web links to enable you to join in our secure sessions.

Further information about how to access a workshop using Teams, and our safeguarding policy for the virtual classroom, can be found below. There will be help and support available online or over the phone for troubleshooting.

How virtual classrooms work on Microsoft Teams 

• Once booked details of your chosen workshop will be sent to your school in advance of the scheduled date.
• An Office 365 calendar invite will be emailed to the teacher who was named at the time of the school booking as present during the workshop.
• It is not essential that your school is using Office 365 or Teams as functionality will be managed by National Museums Liverpool.
• The core requirements the school needs for the workshop are network/Wi-Fi access and laptop with camera and microphone. The teacher will also need to set up a projector or Smartboard in the classroom so that the whole class can see the presentation.
• For the workshop to succeed and be an interactive experience, your class needs to have completed the pre-workshop activity which we will send to you two weeks before the workshop.
• To ensure the smooth running of the workshop on the scheduled date, a mutually convenient time to test the link / URL for the Teams meeting will be arranged with the named representative at your school - please be available for this brief call.
• On the scheduled day of the workshop we ask that you access the Teams calendar link for the workshop 15 minutes before the starting time. This is to ensure that any unexpected connectivity issues can be addressed.
• In the unlikely event of the workshop needing to be rescheduled due to unexpected technical difficulties at National Museums Liverpool, the workshop will be rescheduled for the earliest possible alternative date by our Box Office contacting the school.
• During the workshop, our museum and gallery staff will lead the workshops, facilitate the activity and interact with the class. The teacher needs to be present with the class in school.
• An optional survey will be made available at the end of the workshop for the named school representative to complete. This information will assist us with meeting schools’ needs and your feedback will be kept confidential and can be completed anonymously if preferred.
• The Teams Chat facility will be available for teachers to message a member of staff from the museums or gallery. However, we will request that Chat isn’t used unless for an urgent message, to avoid causing distraction while the workshop is in progress

We hope that you will enjoy your virtual classroom at National Museums Liverpool. 

Safeguarding and code of conduct

National Museums Liverpool’s Safeguarding Policy remains in place and these guidelines have added detail to protect both our staff and participating schools during online engagement. We ask teachers to read them to help us provide a safe and optimal digital learning environment for pupils. 

When running a live workshop via an online platform our staff will: 

• Only use laptops or technology that belong to National Museums Liverpool
• Connect using secure, private network connections, not public Wi-Fi or other lines that could be compromised
• Provide a safe platform which only the booked group can access
• Log in using one of the special accounts created by National Museums Liverpool for school workshops and never using a personal account
• Have a waiting room/lobby to monitor who is joining.
• Only run a workshop if at least one teacher from the school is present with pupils
• Always have two museum staff present in every workshop
• Ensure that workshops are streamed from a museum or gallery classroom or delivery space that has good lighting, using a suitable background that does not show personal items belonging to the facilitator
• Dress professionally and act as suitable role models to young children
• Have enhanced DBS checks
• Ensure all our delivery teams are professionally trained and have extensive experience of delivering education programmes to the relevant key stages
• End the meeting for all at the end of the session

Our staff will not:

• Take into the workshop or use any personal mobile phones or devices
• Record any live workshops, nor consent to being recorded by schools
• Take or share any videos or photos of the workshops without prior agreed consent and the completion of parent consent forms
• Engage in inappropriate conversations with children or young people or share inappropriate personal information about themselves or others
• Discriminate favourably or unfavourably towards a child or young person
• Undermine fundamental British values including democracy, rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect
• Show disrespect towards pupils or teachers with different faiths, beliefs or from different cultures to our own
• Ask for or use full names
• Give personal contact details to children or young people or communicate outside of National Museums Liverpool using social media networks, email, or text

Managing behaviour: 

• Set clear expectations of behaviour at the start of the workshop and establish an agreed means for pupils to engage directly with the facilitator
• It remains the responsibility of the teacher to manage pupils’ conduct throughout the workshop
• All participants, including pupils, school and museum staff, will treat one another with respect, speaking with courtesy and abstaining from foul, abusive, racist or homophobic language or any inappropriate or suggestive comments
• If a student is misbehaving the facilitator will pause delivery until the situation is settled by the teacher
• If the group’s behaviour becomes disruptive, impeding delivery of content, the facilitator has the right to end the workshop

Terms and conditions

> Download the terms and conditions for virtual classrooms (pdf)