Setting

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

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Christina Bailey Acting Principal Fullhurst Community College Imperial Avenue Leicester Leicestershire LE3 1AH

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Ofsted remote visit to Fullhurst Community College

Following my remote visit with John Lawson, 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 Fullhurst Community College

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 Fullhurst Community College

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 Fullhurst Community College

During the visit, we spoke to you, your fellow acting principal, senior leaders and other school leaders responsible for safeguarding and the curriculum. 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 to all Year 7 and Year 9 pupils on 1 September 2020. Pupils in Year 11 returned to school on 2 September 2020. Those in Years 8 and 10 joined on 3 September 2020. Pupils are expected to attend full time.  Currently, attendance is slightly lower than that seen this time last year. Teams of staff work with each year group to support families and help pupils return to school. Some pupils receive extra help from staff mentors.  Pupils in Years 7 to 9 are studying the usual range of subjects. However, teachers have rearranged the order in which they teach some subjects. For example, in science, pupils are currently studying biology rather than chemistry and physics so that they can take part in practical activities that do not require specialist rooms. In mathematics, Year 7 pupils are spending more time than usual revising their understanding of place value.  Pupils in Years 10 and 11 continue to study the full suite of GCSE or BTEC

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

National Diploma subjects that they chose. Teachers are giving these pupils extra support with English, mathematics and science during tutor periods. Some Year 11 pupils are attending after-school sessions for help with other subjects.  Teachers are checking pupils’ knowledge and adapting their curriculum plans if necessary. They are planning to carry out formal tests with pupils in Years 7 to 10. Leaders expect that any content that pupils have missed will be taught by summer 2021.  Teachers provide pupils who are absent from school with remote learning, using a combination of subject workbooks and online resources. This learning follows a similar curriculum to the one that teachers deliver in class. Leaders have arranged further training to help teachers consider the best ways to deliver remote education.

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

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