Setting

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

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Simon Phelps Headteacher Five Acres High School Coleford Gloucestershire GL16 7QW

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Ofsted remote visit to Five Acres High School

Following my remote visit with Elizabeth Farr, 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 Five Acres High 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 Five Acres High 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 Five Acres High School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the deputy headteacher and an assistant director from the multi-academy trust. 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:

 Since September 2020, approximately 20% of pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 have had to work at home for short periods. At the time of our remote visit, a small number of Year 11 pupils were isolating and continuing their learning at home.  You told us that all pupils are studying their usual subjects. Teachers have changed the order of learning in subjects such as history and music. Some content has been adapted for pupils in Years 10 and 11 who are preparing for national assessments.  On the return to full opening, teachers carried out a series of assessments. In Years 7 to 9 teachers noticed that, when writing, pupils need help to use a wide range of words and to write at length. To support this, you have introduced extra writing activities across a range of subjects.  In Years 10 and 11, teachers are supporting pupils’ use of technical language across subjects. Extra activities, including a debating club, have been arranged

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

to support pupils’ language development. Leaders have also broadened the curriculum to respond to changes in employment needs within the local community.  Leaders work with families to support pupils to access learning online. You told us that when working at home, pupils receive the same work, as far as is practical, as they would have received while at school. Teachers have recorded lessons for pupils to watch and they also provide feedback to pupils on their work. 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 Greenshaw Learning multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Gloucestershire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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