Setting

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

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Jude Norman Acting Headteacher Hindley High School Mornington Road Hindley Wigan Lancashire WN2 4LG

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Ofsted visit to Hindley High School

Following my visit with Linda Emmett, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 3 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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Ofsted visit to Hindley 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.

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Ofsted visit to Hindley 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 visit to Hindley High School

During the visit, we spoke to you and members of your senior leadership team. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

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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 (coronavirus) pandemic. 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 the start of term, approximately three out of four of the pupils in the school have had to study from home for short periods of time due to COVID- 19.  All pupils are studying their usual range subjects. You said that teachers have made minimal changes to the order in which they teach subject curriculums.  You told us that pupils have access to specialist rooms and equipment. Pupils are able to carry out practical work in science and technology subjects, such as food technology.  You said that the school’s personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is supporting pupils’ mental health and emotional well-being. Some extra-curricular activities, such as the reading club have resumed. Sports clubs and visits to place of interest have not restarted.  Teachers have checked pupils’ knowledge to see what they have learned since March 2020. They are using this information to amend their curriculum

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

planning so that any subject knowledge that pupils have missed or forgotten is included in future learning.  You have identified that some pupils in Years 7 and 8 have fallen behind with their reading skills compared to where you would usually expect them to be at this point in the year. Staff have planned extra support to help pupils catch up.  Pupils in Years 9, 10 and 11 are continuing to study all of their GCSE and vocational subjects.  You are providing remote education for pupils who are self-isolating because of COVID-19. You told us that pupils follow the same timetable as they would experience in school. You explained the challenges that your staff face in delivering physical education remotely.  You are in the process of moving to a new online system to deliver remote education. You and other leaders are providing training and support for staff. You plan to inform parents about how they can help their children to access

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

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