Setting

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

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Sara Jordan Headteacher Brook Green Centre for Learning Bodmin Road Whitleigh Plymouth Devon PL5 4DZ

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Ofsted remote visit to Brook Green Centre for Learning

Following my remote visit with Sarah McGinnis, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 24 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 Brook Green Centre for Learning

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 Brook Green Centre for Learning

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 Brook Green Centre for Learning

During the visit, we spoke to you, members of the senior leadership team and subject leads for English and mathematics. 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:

 All pupils have self-isolated at least once since September. You closed the school to all pupils for two weeks in October. Typically, pupils have isolated for between 1 and 14 days.  You assessed all pupils when they returned to school in September. You found that most had not lost ground in their learning, but there were some weaknesses in their use of language and reading skills. Consequently, you have prioritised teaching oracy and reading.  You returned pupils to studying all subjects in your curriculum in September. You have put together individual catch-up programmes for each pupil. Staff are using extra time built into the curriculum to deliver individual and group interventions when needed.  In Years 7 to 9, pupils are learning the full range of subjects within your curriculum. However, you have amended some content within subjects to allow for social distancing. For example, in mathematics, you have moved

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

studying shape and measures to later in the year.  Pupils in Years 10 and 11 continue to work towards all the qualifications they opted for. However, some elements of your normal curriculum have been difficult to maintain. For example, pupils in Year 11 have not yet had work experience, so you are finding alternatives so you can provide this online.  You use bespoke learning packs for individual pupils when they need to isolate. The work within the packs aligns to what pupils would be learning if they remained in school. Your approach is the same for pupils who are self- isolating or when you need to send ‘bubbles’ home.  You have found that most pupils do not respond well to work set online because of their specific needs. You also know that parents play a crucial role in supporting their children to stay on task. Consequently, you trained staff to be able to respond to the challenges of learning at home for your pupils, this

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

included how and when to contact parents.

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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 Plymouth City Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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