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

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Katherine Turner Headteacher Chipping Sodbury School Bowling Road Chipping Sodbury Bristol BS37 6EW

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Ofsted visit to Chipping Sodbury School

Following my visit with Paul Williams, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 20 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 Chipping Sodbury 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 Chipping Sodbury 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 Chipping Sodbury School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the senior leadership team and two subject leaders. 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:

 Pupils began a phased return to school from 2 September 2020. All year groups returned from 7 September 2020.  Pupils’ level of attendance is similar to this time last year. At the time of the visit, some students in a Year 12 ‘bubble’ were isolating and studying at home.  Pupils are studying all areas of the curriculum. Teachers are focusing on pupils’ mental health and well-being. Leaders have changed the order of teaching content in some subjects, such as science and music, in order to manage the use of specialist rooms and resources. They plan for pupils to return to their usual curriculum before summer 2021.  In each subject, teachers have started to check what pupils know and remember. Some pupils are receiving additional support in English, mathematics and science. For example, in tutor time some pupils take part in ‘maths mates’ sessions as part of the school’s catch-up programme.  Pupils in Years 10 and 11 are studying all of their GCSE subjects. Teachers

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

have started to fill gaps in pupils’ knowledge that have developed since March 2020. For example, pupils can attend after-school study sessions.  Sixth-form students continue to study the same subjects as they were doing prior to March 2020. Leaders have plans in place should more year groups need to learn remotely. These plans include the use of textbooks, live and recorded lessons, and access to staff support during the school day. Online learning matches the content that is taught in school. 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, adults and health services for South Gloucestershire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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