Setting

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

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Ms Sarah Morgan and Ms Charlotte Robinson Head of School and Executive Headteacher Eastlea Community School Pretoria Road London E16 4NP

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Ofsted visit to Eastlea Community School

Following my visit with Sophie Welch, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 15 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 Eastlea Community 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 Eastlea Community 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 Eastlea Community School

During the visit, we spoke to yourselves and members of the senior leadership team. 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:

 The school opened to all pupils on 9 September. They are expected to attend full time.  Attendance is lower than normal for this time of year. Some pupils have not returned to school since September and leaders are working with the local authority regarding these. Regular contact is made with pupils who are self- isolating, and teachers are providing work for them. No group ‘bubbles’ have been sent home.  All pupils are studying the full range of subjects. Some changes have been made to the sequencing of the curriculum following COVID-19 risk assessments. For example, in physical education, athletics has been moved to the autumn term as this enables pupils to maintain social distancing.  You are assessing pupils in lessons to identify any gaps in their knowledge. Teachers are providing feedback to pupils. This will give a focus to staff training and help teachers to adapt their curriculum planning and delivery.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 In Years 7 to 9, levels of literacy have declined due to absence from school over the summer term and this has been identified as an area of concern. Leaders are investigating the use of online resources to assist in the development of pupils’ literacy skills .  In Years 10 and 11, no changes have been made to the number of examinations taken by pupils. You are planning targeted intervention sessions for Year 11 before and after school to make up for learning that has been lost. These will begin after half term with option subjects being delivered before school, and English, mathematics and science intervention after school.  Leaders have streamlined online learning and use it for the setting and submission of homework. Teachers also use it to provide work for absent pupils. In the event of full or partial lockdown, you will be able to move the taught curriculum to the online platform.

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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 interim executive board, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Newham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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