Setting

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

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Sarah Evans Principal Cranford Park Academy Phelps Way Harlington Hayes UB3 4LQ

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Ofsted remote visit to Cranford Park Academy

Following my remote visit with Andrea Bedeau, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 11 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 Cranford Park Academy

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 Cranford Park Academy

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 Cranford Park Academy

During the visit, we spoke to you and your deputy principal, who is also the designated safeguarding lead. 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:

 During the remote visit, the whole Year 4 ‘bubble’ and a Year 1 class bubble were isolating. Since the start of school in September 2020, approximately a quarter of the pupils have had to work from home at some point.  All pupils are studying the same subjects as they usually would, with the exception of computing. Leaders intend to restart the teaching of computing in the spring term. The school’s timetable has been amended so that an additional mathematics or English lesson takes place each day.  Teachers have given pupils in Years 2 to 6 tests in English and mathematics. The information gathered from these tests has been used to plan additional support for pupils in these subjects, including through after-school sessions.  In the early years, staff have been focusing on developing children’s communication and language skills. Pupils receive extra phonics and reading sessions, particularly in Year 1. These sessions are to revise phonics

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

knowledge that pupils may have missed out on during the period when schools were only open to some children.  Teachers have made changes to how some subjects are delivered. For example, all physical education sessions take place outdoors and pupils do not sing during their music lessons. Leaders intend to review these procedures later in the spring term.  During the remote visit, all Year 4 pupils and a Year 1 class were receiving remote education, which included accessing live lessons. Teachers set these pupils online and printed work to complete independently.

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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 chief executive officer of The Park Federation Academy Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Hillingdon. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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