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

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Polly Matthews Acting Headteacher Court Fields School Mantle Street Wellington Somerset TA21 8SW

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Ofsted remote visit to Court Fields School

Following my remote visit with Matt Middlemore, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 17 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 Court Fields 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. 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 Court Fields 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 remote visit to Court Fields School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the senior leadership team, the safeguarding leader and middle leaders. 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:

 A small number of pupils in Year 7 are currently isolating. Since September, several other pupils have had to work from home for short periods. The Year 8 ‘bubble’ had to isolate in October.  Pupils continue to follow their usual curriculum. You have adapted the curriculum in some subjects. For example, you have checked what pupils know, to make changes to the teaching of modern foreign languages.  Teachers have checked pupils’ knowledge in every subject. In Years 7 to 9, teachers are prioritising reading. A programme of revision has started so all pupils get back on track with their reading as soon as possible.  You have plans in place to ensure the key stage 4 mathematics curriculum is completed by summer 2021. In Years 10 and 11, teachers have identified pupils’ new starting points. You have introduced extra mathematics sessions to help pupils catch up.  All your remote education is delivered online. When a bubble isolates, online

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

learning is a combination of live teaching, recorded lessons and independent activities. All pupils who need to isolate have five lessons each day. The weekly timetable prioritises English and mathematics.

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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. I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the executive headteacher of the Castle Partnership multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Somerset. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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