Setting

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

p.1

Emma Williams Acting Head of School Luxulyan School Luxulyan Bodmin Cornwall PL30 5EE

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Luxulyan School

Following my remote visit with Matt Middlemore, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 26 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.

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Luxulyan 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.

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Luxulyan 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.

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Luxulyan School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the executive headteacher. Together, you are the school’s safeguarding leaders. We did not speak to pupils.

p.1

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.

p.1

Context

In undertaking this focused work, HMI are visiting a broad range of schools. HMI will visit a sample of:

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Since September, several pupils have had to isolate and study from home for short periods.  In September, you introduced a well-being curriculum to help pupils settle back into school. During this two-week period, teachers focused on pupils’ personal, social and health education. Since then, pupils have continued to follow their usual curriculum.  You have introduced extra reading sessions throughout the school. In key stage 1, this is to help pupils get back on track with their phonics. In key stage 2, this is to support pupils to deepen their understanding of what they have read.  Teachers have checked pupils’ mathematical knowledge. You found that some pupils have lost their fluency when working with numbers. You have introduced extra sessions to help pupils catch up.  You have checked pupils’ starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers are using this information to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and to

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

adjust their teaching accordingly. You told us that teachers have not undertaken checks to see what pupils know in other subjects, such as history.  Children in the Reception class are continuing to follow the early years curriculum.  Leaders have introduced a multimedia-based approach to remote education. You told us that, as far as possible, pupils study the same curriculum as they would if they were in their classroom.  Staff have attended training on the school’s procedures for delivering remote education. Leaders have identified that further planning is needed to ensure that the remote delivery of physical education is effective.

p.2

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.

p.3

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 Cornwall Education Learning Trust (CELT), the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Cornwall. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3