Setting

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

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Donna Christy Headteacher Langland Community School Langland Road Netherfield Milton Keynes MK6 4HA

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Ofsted remote visit to Langland Community School

Following my remote visit with Sian Thornton, 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 Langland Community 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 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, we made this visit remotely to reduce pressure on the school.

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Ofsted remote visit to Langland Community 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 Langland Community School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the executive headteacher and four assistant headteachers. 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 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 3 September 2020. Reception-age children had a phased start for the first two weeks of term. They have attended full time since 16 September 2020. A small number of pupils currently attend on a part-time basis.  Pupils’ current attendance is similar to what it was this time last year. A few days before the recent half-term holiday, leaders had to close the school due to confirmed cases of COVID-19. Leaders are continuing to provide guidance and information to pupils’ families.  Pupils are studying all subjects in the school’s usual curriculum except for modern foreign languages. At the start of September, teachers focused on pupils’ personal, social and health education to facilitate pupils’ return to school.  Teachers have carried out reading and phonics assessments. They have made changes to the early reading curriculum. Staff are providing additional support for pupils who need to catch up, including some pupils in key stage

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

2.  In mathematics, teachers have identified that pupils’ understanding of place value and calculation strategies is not where they would expect it to be for this time of the year. Teachers are adapting planning to provide pupils with opportunities to practise and revise these daily.  Teachers have reviewed what learning pupils have missed in some subjects in the wider curriculum. They have adapted their plans so that pupils learn this knowledge before moving on to new concepts.  Staff have established a remote education system which parents and pupils can access online or via printed materials if required. This is being used to support pupils who need to self-isolate, so that they can access the normal range of subjects. You have plans for how this will be used in the event of any potential partial or full school closures.

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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 Milton Keynes. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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