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

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Gareth Thomas Interim Headteacher Hawksmoor School Bentham Road Thamesmead London SE28 8AS

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Ofsted remote visit to Hawksmoor School

Following my remote visit with Mark Smith, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 12 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 Hawksmoor 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 Hawksmoor 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 Hawksmoor School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the senior leadership team, including the leader responsible 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. 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, very few pupils have had to work from home.  All pupils are learning the school’s usual range of subjects, with some changes made to the content taught. For example, whole-school singing is not taking place, and swimming lessons have not resumed. Leaders aim to return to the school’s usual curriculum by the summer term 2021.  In September 2020, teachers checked pupils’ new starting points in reading. Following these checks, leaders have made reading a priority, with a focus on ensuring that pupils in Years 1 and 2 get back on track with their learning in phonics. To support this work, leaders have introduced additional small-group reading sessions for all pupils, with selected pupils having specific help to learn their initial sounds.  Leaders have identified gaps in pupils’ mathematical knowledge, particularly in their understanding of geometry and data handling. This term, teaching aims

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

to cover subject content that pupils missed in the spring and summer terms. Teaching is also placing greater emphasis on pupils’ ability to apply their mathematical understanding.  In the wider curriculum, leaders have used a range of information to establish whether pupils have developed gaps in their knowledge. In each subject, leaders have made some adjustments to the order in which subject content is taught, with the aim of helping pupils make up for any lost learning.  Remote education is provided digitally, with pupils able to access pre-recorded lessons, alongside the same resources used by their peers who are in school. In Years 3 to 6, pupils are utilising the school’s online learning tool to complete tasks at home.  Leaders have considered how they will deliver remote education, should a year -group ‘bubble’ need to self-isolate. Leaders plan to use a mixture of pre- recorded lessons and links to resources on other education websites.

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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 The Royal Borough of Greenwich. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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