Setting

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

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Azizah Pathan Head of School Hinckley Academy and John Cleveland Sixth Form Centre Butt Lane Hinckley Leicestershire LE10 1LE

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Centre

Following my remote visit with Simon Hollingsworth, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 1 December 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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Centre

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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Centre

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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Centre

During the visit, we spoke to you and members of the senior leadership team, including the senior leaders responsible for safeguarding and the sixth form. 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:

 At the time of the visit, most pupils in Year 8 were self-isolating and learning from home. Since the start of the autumn term, a high proportion of pupils across all year groups have been required to self-isolate for short periods of time.  All pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 are studying the usual range of national curriculum subjects. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 continue to study their usual range of GCSE subjects, including the subjects they opted for. In Years 12 and 13, students continue to study the subjects they had previously chosen.  Leaders have amended their curriculum plans in some subjects to prioritise pupils’ learning of important concepts and skills. For example, in English, teachers are creating more opportunities for pupils to apply their understanding of inference and gain more practice in extended writing. In art, teachers are focusing on elements of the curriculum such as drawing skills.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Leaders have made further amendments to their curriculum plans for the practical elements of some subjects. In art, for example, pupils’ use of clay in ceramic work has been temporarily paused. Leaders intend to reintroduce this as soon as it is safe to do so. In computing, pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 have less time than usual in computer rooms to apply their knowledge of programming skills.  Teachers have carried out informal and formal assessments to check pupils’ knowledge and skills in all subjects, and they have used these to inform their curriculum planning. Additional opportunities have been created to support pupils’ learning needs as they are identified, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Additional lessons have been put on to help pupils in Year 11 and students in the sixth form catch up on missed learning. Pupils in Year 7 are receiving extra support to help them develop

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

their literacy skills.  Leaders have prioritised aspects of pupils’ personal development, including personal well-being and resilience, online learning and safety, and remote work-experience opportunities for students in the sixth form.  Teachers have developed a range of online resources to provide remote learning in case of pupil absence or future local restrictions. These resources have been designed to reflect pupils’ usual curriculum experiences as closely as possible. In art, pupils are learning about digital photography for example. Pupils without access to equipment, or those who have trouble accessing online resources, have been supported.

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

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