Setting

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

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Paul Gamble Headteacher Harrow High School Gayton Road Harrow HA1 2JG

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Ofsted remote visit to Harrow High School

Following my remote visit with Sophie Welch, 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 Harrow 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 Harrow 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 Harrow High School

During the visit, we spoke to you and other members of the leadership team, including the leader with responsibility for safeguarding. 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 proportion of pupils have needed to work at home since the start of term.  Pupils are studying the usual range of subjects offered by the school. You have reorganised pupils’ access to specialist rooms and equipment in practical subjects such as science, and information and communication technology. Teachers are using more online resources for demonstrations and enrichment activities, and you have moved the dates for Year 10 and Year 12 work experience to later in the academic year. You plan to return to usual curriculum arrangements by the spring term 2021.  You have completed a range of assessments in all subjects to check where pupils may have fallen behind. Overall, you have found that pupils remember knowledge from their previous learning, but need to strengthen their skills of analysis and to apply their knowledge to extended writing. You also found that some younger pupils need to develop their reading skills. You are

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

providing them with additional support.  In Years 7, 8 and 9, teachers amend their plans for teaching new subject content. They check first where there are any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding of essential prior learning. Teachers have adapted the curriculum to help pupils catch up on missed learning.  You have provided extra curriculum time for all pupils in Years 10 and 11 to help them catch up in mathematics, English and science. You have started additional support sessions earlier in the year than usual for pupils who need extra help.  Individual pupils isolating at home have accessed remote education and followed via video the same lessons as their peers in school. You have plans to extend this provision to larger numbers of pupils if necessary.

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

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