Setting

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

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Sarah Baker Executive Principal Stubbin Wood School Common Lane Shirebrook Mansfield NG20 8QF

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Ofsted visit to Stubbin Wood School

Following my visit with Christine Watkins, 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 Stubbin Wood 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 Stubbin Wood 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 Stubbin Wood School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the associate principal, members of the senior leadership team, including those responsible for safeguarding, and two new members of staff. 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:

 Pupils began a phased return to school from 8 September 2020. The school opened fully to all pupils on 14 September 2020. All pupils are expected to attend full time.  Attendance is slightly lower than that seen during the same period last year. Leaders have arrangements in place to check on the safety of pupils who may be absent for periods of time. Staff work closely with pupils and their families to support them to attend school regularly.  Pupils are studying their usual range of subjects. Some adaptations have been made to the way content is taught in subjects like music, art and physical education.  Staff have checked pupils’ knowledge and skills in learning. They have established plans for learning to prioritise key concepts within subjects. Plans are based on pupils’ individual needs. Extra tuition is planned to support pupils, where necessary.  Checks on pupils’ skills in reading have shown that some pupils need more

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

support to develop their understanding of phonics. Teachers provide extra lessons in phonics to all identified pupils to fill any gaps they may have in their knowledge of sounds.  Pupils study the usual variety of vocational and academic subjects through the school’s three learning pathways. Teachers have not been able to utilise the hydrotherapy pool and rebound provision, but they have moved sensory provision within classroom settings.  Pupils in Year 11 and those in the sixth form have resumed their studies, which include Functional Skills and GCSE courses. They have not yet been able to access out-of-school provision.  Leaders have a planned programme for remote learning. This programme supports pupils to continue their existing curriculum pathway during periods of extended absence from school.

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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 chair of the board of trustees, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Derbyshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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