Setting

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

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Emily Reynard Principal Manchester Enterprise Academy Central Lytham Road Levenshulme Manchester M14 6PL

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Ofsted visit to Manchester Enterprise Academy Central

Following my visit with Michael Pennington, Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI), to your school on 3 November 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 Manchester Enterprise Academy Central

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 Manchester Enterprise Academy Central

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 Manchester Enterprise Academy Central

During the visit, we spoke with you, the two vice-principals and the assistant vice- principal 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.

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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:

 You opened the school to pupils in Year 7 on 4 September 2020. Pupils in Year 10 returned on 7 September 2020. Pupils in Year 9 started on 8 September 2020 and pupils in Year 8 on 9 September 2020. All pupils are expected to attend full time.  Pupils’ attendance is below what you would usually expect at this time of year. You described how staff are working closely with families to encourage better attendance. At the time of our visit, pupils from one class in the Year 10 ‘bubble’ and one class in the Year 8 ‘bubble’ were self-isolating.  Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 are studying the full range of their usual curriculum subjects. However, during the first half term, you made some adaptations to the curriculum content in art, music and drama to prioritise literacy lessons and to build pupils’ resilience. You are confident that pupils will have covered any missed content by the spring term 2021.  All pupils in Year 10 are studying the subjects that they will be examined in.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

You explained that every pupil in Year 10 is attending an extra lesson each week, to secure their learning.  You told us that teachers are using a range of strategies to check what pupils know and remember. You told us that subject leaders are planning ways to address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge as they emerge. Teachers are providing additional support for pupils who have fallen behind.  You have systems in place to deliver and monitor remote education. You explained that teachers are supplying pupils with additional resources and equipment, for example sewing kits and art materials. This is so that pupils can follow most of their usual curriculum when at home.

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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 chief executive officer of the Prospere Learning Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Manchester. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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