Setting

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

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Ginny Rhodes Headteacher St Crispin’s School London Road Wokingham Berkshire RG40 1SS

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Ofsted visit to St Crispin’s School

Following my visit with Lucy English, 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 St Crispin’s 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 St Crispin’s 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 St Crispin’s School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the two deputy headteachers and two assistant headteachers. 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. 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:

 You opened the school to pupils in Years 7 to 10 and Year 12 on 3 September 2020. Pupils in Years 11 and 13 returned on 4 September. All pupils attend full time.  Pupils’ rates of attendance are above those at this time last year. You report that pupils’ motivation and enthusiasm about being back at school are high and that their punctuality has improved. A small number of pupils are currently self-isolating at home with their families.  Pupils have started this academic year studying exactly the same range of subjects as they normally would. You told us that this reflects your ambition that pupils’ learning will not be hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers have temporarily adapted how aspects of some subjects are taught, for example performance work in drama and singing in music.  You have prioritised meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including the relatively high proportion of pupils

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

with education, health and care plans who are part of the specialist unit.  Pupils in Years 11 and 13 are continuing to study all their examination courses. No pupils have dropped any subjects.  Teachers have checked what pupils have remembered in every subject. Leaders are making sure that teaching addresses any gaps in what pupils should currently know. You have plans in place for providing additional support for any pupils who need it.  You are keen to fully reinstate extra-curricular provision as soon as possible. In the meantime, you are exploring a range of alternative solutions to further support pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils will participate in the upcoming climate crisis symposium online rather than face to face.  You are currently providing remote education for pupils who are self-isolating at home. This covers all the content other pupils are learning in school. Should it be needed in the future, you are very confident that the whole

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

curriculum can be delivered remotely for all year groups.

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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 Circle Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Wokingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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