Setting

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

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Samantha Fairbairn Executive Headteacher Newquay Tretherras Trevenson Road Newquay Cornwall TR7 3BH

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Ofsted remote visit to Newquay Tretherras

Following my remote visit with Matthew Barnes, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 19 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 Newquay Tretherras

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 Newquay Tretherras

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 Newquay Tretherras

During the visit, we spoke to you and members of the 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 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:

 At the time of the visit, some pupils in Years 9 and 11 and some sixth-form students were isolating due to COVID-19. For a small proportion of pupils in Year 11, this is the second time that this has been necessary. Since the beginning of the Autumn term, approximately one third of pupils have had to work from home at some time.  Pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 have returned to their usual curriculum. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 and students in the sixth form are continuing to follow all their examination courses.  You told us that your first priority was to return pupils to the curriculum in an engaging and supportive way. Teachers have established where there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge, using the ‘Just Check’ guides that have been prepared for individual subjects. You have adjusted the curriculum as required and have provided additional support for pupils you have identified as falling behind.  In key stage 5, teachers have focused on developing the skills that students

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

need to be successful at this level. You have also adapted the curriculum so that students can revisit and consolidate the knowledge that is essential for higher-level study.  You have remote learning in place to support pupils who are not able to attend school. Pupils attend their lessons ‘virtually’ at a time that matches their usual timetable. They can, therefore, get support from their teacher and complete the learning planned so that they do not fall behind their peers. Teachers have received training to help them manage the demands of this way of working.  In addition, you have stressed the need to support pupils to build their self- motivation and self-discipline. You believe that these attributes are integral to pupils’ ability to learn remotely.

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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 board of trustees and the trust lead of the Cornwall Education Learning Trust multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Cornwall. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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