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

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Gill Wilson Headteacher Woodlawn School Drumoyne Gardens West Monkseaton Whitley Bay Tyne and Wear NE25 9DL

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Ofsted visit to Woodlawn School

Following my visit with Jenny Thomas, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 8 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 Woodlawn 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 Woodlawn 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 Woodlawn School

During the visit, we spoke to you and your 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.

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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 has been open to all pupils since 3 September 2020.  Pupils’ attendance, since the school opened, is broadly in line with usual attendance for this time of year.  The usual range of subjects are being taught. You are revisiting content in some subjects to help pupils learn the things that they missed in the summer term. You aim to return to your usual curriculum in all subjects by the beginning of the spring term 2021.  Leaders have checked what pupils know in all subjects since returning to school in September. They are concentrating on developing pupils’ social communication skills, emotional health and well-being.  In Nursery and Reception, you told us that settling the children into school was a priority. You have checked what children know and can do. Developing children’s social, communication and concentration skills are your main priorities.  You have directed teachers to carry out checks on pupils’ phonics and reading

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

skills in Years 1 to 6. Pupils with gaps have catch-up sessions to revisit any learning they missed last term.  In mathematics, teachers have identified pupils’ new starting points by checking what pupils know. Pupils practise mathematical skills that they have missed or forgotten through a catch-up programme in school and at home.  You have started to check what pupils know in wider curriculum subjects, such as science. You plan to provide extra catch-up sessions, later this term, for pupils in all subjects where they have knowledge gaps due to Covid-19 restrictions.  In Years 7 to 9, you have made similar checks on pupils’ knowledge across the curriculum. You told us that staff have redesigned their curriculum plans to ensure that pupils are catching up on missed learning. Since September, you have prioritised establishing routines for the Year 7 pupils.  In Years 10 to 13, pupils are continuing to study for their usual examinations.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

You told us that leaders are ensuring that curriculum content for their subjects is still being taught.  You have started to deliver aspects of some subjects remotely. Work set for pupils at home matches the content of classroom learning. You are further developing this remote offer so that it includes all subjects.

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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 North Tyneside. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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