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

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Chris Fitzpatrick Head of School White’s Wood Academy White’s Wood Lane Gainsborough Lincolnshire DN21 1TJ

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Ofsted visit to White’s Wood Academy

Following my visit with Vic Wilkinson, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 8 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 White’s Wood Academy

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 White’s Wood Academy

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 White’s Wood Academy

During the visit, we spoke to you, trust representatives, including the lead for teaching and learning, and members of the 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.

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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 the start of term, a few pupils have self-isolated and completed their schoolwork at home.  All pupils are studying their usual range of subjects. Pupils learn some of their subjects through class topics. For example, Year 6 pupils are learning about design and technology, art, history and geography through their class topic of World War Two.  Extra-curricular activities such as trips are not taking place yet. Pupils are not taking part in swimming lessons. Leaders plan that pupils will return to the full curriculum before summer 2021.  Teachers have checked what pupils know and remember in all their subjects. They have used this information to adapt their teaching. Some pupils are receiving additional help so that they can catch up.  In reading, some pupils in Years 3 and 4 have gaps in their phonics skills. Some older pupils need encouragement to read for pleasure. Leaders have provided pupils with a greater choice of reading material, including online

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

books.  Some pupils have forgotten some of the mathematical knowledge and skills that they had learned previously. Teachers have used their knowledge of pupils’ starting points to amend the curriculum.  Leaders, supported by the trust, deliver remote education. If pupils are learning at home, they access a timetable of online activities similar to those at school.  Leaders are helping those pupils who cannot access their learning online. For example, they have provided some pupils with access to laptops. Teachers provide paper-based resources for pupils who need them.

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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 board of trustees, and the chief executive officer of the Tall Oaks Academy Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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