Setting

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

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Sarah North Headteacher North Chadderton School Chadderton Hall Road Chadderton Oldham OL9 0BN

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Ofsted visit to North Chadderton School

Following my visit with Emma Gregory, 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 North Chadderton 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 North Chadderton 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 North Chadderton School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the senior leadership team and the senior leader responsible for safeguarding. 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. 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 2 September 2020. All pupils, including students in the sixth form, are expected to attend full time.  Attendance is broadly in line with the school’s normal rates of attendance for this time of year.  Across the school, pupils and students have returned to their full timetable of curriculum subjects. You plan for all pupils and students to return to the normal curriculum earlier than summer term 2021.  Pupils in Year 10 and Year 11 continue to study their examination subjects. You have changed the order of the design and technology curriculum to ensure that pupils can cover practical aspects safely. You have also adapted the curriculum in English and science.  In Years 7, 8 and 9, you have made changes to practical subjects, such as physical education, design and technology, performing arts and art.  You described how teachers in all subjects check on what pupils have missed

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

or forgotten during lockdown. You told us that teachers use this information to prioritise content and help pupils to learn and remember the most important knowledge. Students in the sixth form have completed additional work in some subjects. You explained to us how this has helped them to fill the gaps in their learning.  You already have systems in place to deliver the curriculum remotely for those pupils who are isolating. This involves a combination of paper-based and digital resources. You told us that these resources are aligned with the school’s normal curriculum.

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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 chair of the board of trustees, the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Oldham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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