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

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Rachel Kay Headteacher Mayfield School Gloucester Road Chorley Lancashire PR7 3HN

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Ofsted visit to Mayfield School

Following my visit with Simon Hunter, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 1 October 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 Mayfield School

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 Mayfield School

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 Mayfield School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the deputy headteacher, the senior leader responsible for safeguarding, the behaviour leader and the school business manager. 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:

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Context

 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 fully to all pupils on 2 September 2020.  Pupils’ attendance is slightly below that seen at this time last year. One mixed- aged class is self-isolating currently.  Pupils, and students in the sixth form are studying an adapted curriculum to address their current social, emotional and mental health needs. You have placed an emphasis on supporting pupils to manage their own emotions so that they are ready to learn. You plan to return to the school’s normal curriculum in January 2021.  Your staff are presently checking pupils’ knowledge to identify any gaps in their learning in English and mathematics. Staff are comparing what pupils can do now with the individual targets that were set for their learning prior to lockdown.  Teachers’ checks have shown that some pupils have forgotten some of the signs and symbols that they use to communicate. As such, you have prioritised the development of pupils’ communication skills. Staff have noticed that some

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

pupils find it hard to recall the phonics that they had previously learned. As a result, staff are re-visiting some aspects of phonics learning.  In mathematics, teachers have identified that the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the opportunities that students in the sixth form have to practise their independent living skills in the local community. Teachers are providing practical tasks so that students can use these skills as part of classroom activities instead.  Staff are presently delivering remote learning education packages for pupils who are unable to attend school. These packs contain activities and links to online learning as well as support for individual learning targets. You intend to expand upon this approach, should this be needed in the future.

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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 governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Lancashire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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