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

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Ruchi Datta Headteacher Granta School Cambridge Road Linton Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB21 4NN

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Ofsted remote visit to Granta School

Following my remote visit with Cindy Impey, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 19 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 Granta 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 Granta 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 Granta School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the deputy headteacher. 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 has been open to all pupils throughout the term. A small number of pupils have been unable to attend the school site for medical reasons. Few pupils, and no ‘bubbles’, have been sent home so far this term.  The needs of the pupils who attend the school mean that the curriculum is planned on an individual basis. In some cases, there has been very little change as a result of COVID-19. You expect to be able to return all pupils to their full curriculum by the summer term 2021.  In reading, teachers have assessed pupils. They found that pupils have retained their phonics knowledge and other reading skills as well as they usually might after the long summer holiday.  Teachers have also assessed pupils in mathematics. You have found that some pupils are behind where you would expect them to be in some aspects of the curriculum, such as shape and space. Teachers are focusing on these areas in

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

pupils’ individual curriculum plans.  Across a range of subjects, as with reading, you have found that pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the wider curriculum is similar to what is usually the case at the start of the school year. Some important aspects of the curriculum, such as travel training, have not been taking place. You are keen to restart these aspects of the curriculum as soon as is practicable.  You are currently providing remote education for a small number of pupils who are unable to be in school for medical reasons, and for pupils who need to isolate for short periods of time. The school has its own channel on a video- broadcasting website and you have found this to be a useful way of engaging pupils in their learning. You have found that there are challenges around providing remote education for pupils that meets the specific needs of their individual disabilities.

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

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