Setting

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

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Miss Tuesday Rhodes Headteacher Sheffield Inclusion Centre Spring Road Sheffield South Yorkshire S2 2JQ

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Ofsted visit to Sheffield Inclusion Centre

Following my visit with James Duncan, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 6 October, 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 Sheffield Inclusion Centre

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 Sheffield Inclusion Centre

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 Sheffield Inclusion Centre

During the visit, we spoke to you and other members of your senior leadership team, including those staff 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. 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 3 September 2020, although you let a small number of primary-aged pupils have a staggered start to aid their transition to the centre. Some pupils have not returned full time for specific reasons which leaders are working to resolve.  Pupils’ attendance is higher than it was this time last year.  You told us your curriculum provision has broadened due to COVID-19. You have adapted the delivery of practical subjects like physical education and science due to the care you are taking over social distancing. There is no work experience taking place at the moment, but pupils are being provided with employability sessions.  Teachers have assessed pupils and compared where they were before March 2020, in order to identify any gaps in their knowledge and skills.  In Years 1 to 6, pupils are focusing on reading, writing and mathematics daily, and in Years 10 and 11, they are focused on completing qualifications from

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

entry level to level 3. You explained that you have overstaffed these subjects, so that pupils get more support to help them catch up where they have fallen behind in their learning, due to the school not being open to all pupils in the spring and summer terms 2020.  You stated that you now feel more prepared to deliver a remote learning offer to pupils should there be a need in the future. You would focus on English, mathematics and science. 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 Sheffield. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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