Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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N Graham Assistant Director Harris Academy Chafford Hundred Mayflower Road Chafford Hundred Grays Essex RM16 6SA

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Ofsted visit to Harris Academy Chafford Hundred

Following my visit with Maureen Su, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 29 September 2020, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the visit’s findings. Thank you for the time you made available to discuss your actions since September 2020, when the government expected all schools to open fully to all pupils.

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Ofsted visit to Harris Academy Chafford Hundred

This visit was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections are temporarily suspended.

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Ofsted visit to Harris Academy Chafford Hundred

Ofsted’s visits to schools during the autumn term are not inspections. We are not giving graded judgements. We did not undertake the usual range of inspection activities and were unable to check other sources of evidence, such as visits to lessons or looking at pupils’ work. The content of this letter gives an overview of our discussions about what has happened in your school this term.

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Ofsted visit to Harris Academy Chafford Hundred

During the visit, we spoke to you, the executive principal of the academy, the head of the academy, the senior leaders responsible for safeguarding, attendance and behaviour, and key stage 3, and the leaders of Years 7, 10 and 11. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

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Context

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s education system is managing the return to full education for pupils following an extended break in formal schooling due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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Context

In undertaking this focused work, HMI are visiting a broad range of schools. HMI will visit a sample of:  approximately 1,200 schools across all Ofsted grades (outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate)  maintained schools, academies and free schools, special schools and centres of alternative provision, including those in cities, and coastal, town or rural communities.

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Context

The information from this visit will feed into Ofsted’s national reporting so that the insights can be shared with the government and the education sector. We did not find any significant concerns during the visit. In such a case, an inspection report would be published on our website and available to parents and carers.

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Context

We did not consider your response to COVID-19 during the spring and summer terms 2020, when the school was not open to all pupils.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 The school opened full time to all pupils on Friday 11 September 2020. Prior to this, pupils attended school on a rolling programme of two-hour sessions to learn about the new rules and procedures. Students in Years 12 and 13 attend lessons on site on two or three longer days per week and learn additional work remotely on the days they do not attend school.  Pupils’ attendance is similar to that in the same period last year.  All pupils are studying the full range of subjects that were on offer prior to the school closure. Due to site restrictions, pupils are currently unable to undertake some practical components in some subjects, such as singing in music. Leaders plan to deliver these aspects later in the year.  In the summer term, pupils undertook tests in all subjects to help teachers identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Teachers are adjusting their plans to revisit learning as well as deliver the current curriculum.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Several pupils from different year groups undertook a summer programme of 10 one-hour sessions to help them catch up. Year 11 pupils are receiving mathematics and English tuition.  In Year 7, teachers are revisiting some mathematics content from Year 6 as a result of teachers’ checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Online safety is being delivered earlier in the Year 7 personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum to prepare pupils to access digital learning safely.  Teachers are continuing to deliver lessons and share resources virtually via an online platform to pupils and students who are not currently attending school. During our visit, two groups of Year 12 students were self-isolating at home.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

Thank you again for contributing to this important national work. The views and experiences you have shared will help to inform future policy.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, and the chief executive officer of the Harris Federation, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Thurrock. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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