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

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Stuart Cleary Acting Headteacher Lady Lumley’s School Swainsea Lane Pickering North Yorkshire YO18 8NG

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Ofsted visit to Lady Lumley’s School

Following my visit with Marcus Newby, 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 Lady Lumley’s 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 Lady Lumley’s 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 Lady Lumley’s School

During the visit, we spoke to you, two assistant headteachers and an associate member of the senior leadership team who is also the head of mathematics. 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:

 The school opened to all pupils on 9 September 2020. All pupils are expected to attend full time. There are a few pupils on part-time timetables.  Pupils’ attendance is slightly lower than it was at the same time last year. You told us that you have communicated the school’s expectations of attendance to parents and carers and you have informed parents of the protective measures you have in place.  Although pupils in all year groups are studying their usual range of subjects, you explained that in some subjects, such as physical education (PE), you have made some adaptations to the curriculum. Pupils are currently undertaking all PE activities outside. Other aspects of the PE curriculum, which are usually delivered indoors, are planned for later in the year.  Staff are in the process of checking pupils’ new starting points in all subjects. You told us that there are some gaps in pupils’ knowledge of, for example,

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

trigonometry and Pythagoras in Years 10 and 11 and fractions in Year 8. Because of this, teachers are currently revisiting these topics with pupils.  In Year 12, you explained that assessments have shown that there are gaps in some students’ knowledge, such as their understanding of complex algebra. Teachers are prioritising these areas.  A small number of pupils who are self-isolating are currently accessing education remotely. You told us that you can offer all subjects in the school’s usual curriculum remotely, if required. 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 North Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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