Setting

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

p.1

Claudia Cubbage Principal The Henry Cort Community College Hillson Drive Fareham Hampshire PO15 6PH

p.1

Ofsted visit to The Henry Cort Community College

Following my visit with Alison Bradley, 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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to The Henry Cort Community College

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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to The Henry Cort Community College

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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to The Henry Cort Community College

During the visit, we spoke to you and members of your senior leadership team. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

p.1

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:

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 You opened the school to Year 7 pupils on 4 September 2020. Pupils in Years 8 to 11 returned on 7 September 2020. All pupils are expected to attend full time.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with this time last year. Before the summer break, all pupils were invited back into school to talk to staff about their learning and well-being. You told us that this information was used to put plans in place that helped pupils return to school in September.  Teachers are using assessment, both in the classroom and online, to establish what pupils know and can remember from the spring and summer terms. Subject leaders have used this information to temporarily reprioritise when pupils study specific topics. Teachers are also delivering additional after-school lessons to pupils in Years 10 and 11 to support any missed learning. You anticipate that all pupils will return to their usual curriculum by the summer

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

term 2021.  In Years 7 and 8, pupils are studying the same range of subjects as they normally would, with the exception of dance. Additional health and safety measures are in place for subjects such as food technology, design technology, textiles, art, physical education, drama and music to provide pupils with practical learning experiences.  Virtually all pupils in Year 11 are continuing to study all of their examination subjects. You have made some changes to when parts of the curriculum are taught. For example, Year 11 pupils will complete the required practical experiments in science in the spring term. This is because access to science laboratories is currently limited for health and safety reasons.  You are keen to reinstate extra-curricular visits and invite guest speakers into the school as soon as possible. Staff have engaged virtually with local colleges and businesses to support the personal, social, health and economic

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

curriculum. This has included a virtual work experience for pupils in Year 10.  Staff are currently providing remote education for pupils who are self-isolating at home. This mirrors the content that other pupils are learning in school and includes audio description from teachers to explain each lesson. Subject leaders have plans in place to deliver the whole curriculum remotely to all year groups, should it be required.

p.3

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.

p.3

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 Hampshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3