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

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Tina Harvey Executive Headteacher Perseid School Bordesley Road Merton Surrey SM4 5LT

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Ofsted remote visit to Perseid School

Following my remote visit with Jude Wilson, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 5 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 remote visit to Perseid 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. Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, we made this visit remotely to reduce pressure on the school.

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Ofsted remote visit to Perseid 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 remote visit to Perseid School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the school’s senior leadership team. We did not speak to pupils.

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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 opened fully for pupils on 7 September 2020. All pupils are expected to attend full time. A few pupils are shielding.  Attendance since September is lower than normal for this time of the year. Some parents are worried about sending their children to school. Leaders work closely with parents to reassure them that the school is safe for their children.  Pupils continue to study their usual range of subjects. All lessons are taught as normal. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 no longer use the local library and park. Horse-riding has not started. In music, singing and wind instruments are not being taught. The café run by the sixth form is closed and enterprises for pupils in Years 7 to 11 are curtailed. Leaders plan to return to the full curriculum by the summer term 2021 if deemed safe to do so.  Teachers use each pupil’s individual education plan to check learning. Education, health and care plans define the learning priorities for each pupil.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

Leaders found that some pupils took longer to settle into school in September than others. Gaps in pupils’ learning are now starting to show.  The gaps in learning are different for each pupil. Teachers use their detailed knowledge of children to identify each pupil’s learning needs including numeracy and literacy in early learning. All teachers focus strongly on pupils’ well-being and their emotional development.  The approaches teachers use to close the gap in pupils’ learning are different for each pupil. Across the school, actions to close these gaps are linked to the individual learning needs of pupils. This may include booster lessons for phonics in Years 1 to 6, but approaches are specific to each pupil. Priority is given to creative subjects such as art.  Pupils in Years 7 to 11, and in the sixth form, continue to study externally accredited certificates. For example, pupils in Years 10 and 11 work for a

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

personal progress qualification. Sixth form students work towards a certificate in personal development.  Leaders give consideration to the therapeutic positioning and movement needs of pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. This is so that their curriculum access can carry on as normal. Pupils who struggle with their behaviour get individual support, especially for their emotional well-being.  Leaders and teachers have adapted remote education week by week as they develop their expertise. Staff contribute to online lessons provided to all schools in England. Leaders have advanced plans to deliver teaching remotely. There is a flow chart for parents so that they can help their children to learn, and weekly planners include well-being activities.

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

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