Setting

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

p.1

Diane Furlong Headteacher Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School Lock Lane Partington Manchester M31 4PJ

p.1

Following my visit with Elizabeth Stevens, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 10 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.

p.1

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.

p.1

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

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

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

p.1

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:

 Just over half of pupils in the school have spent some time studying from home since the start of term. Pupils in Year 2 have had to self-isolate at home on two occasions.  Pupils are studying their usual range of subjects, but some subject content has been moved. For instance, in design technology, pupils will now prepare and cook food later in the year. You intend to return to the school’s usual curriculum by summer term 2021.  Teachers have assessed pupils’ reading skills. They have found that many younger pupils have gaps in their phonics knowledge, and older pupils are not reading with the same stamina as they did before March 2020. In all classes, teachers are helping pupils to catch up and are providing more opportunities for them to read in a wide range of subjects.  In mathematics, you explained how younger pupils have forgotten some basic facts such as place value. This has had an impact on pupils in Year 2, who are

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

finding column addition more difficult than you would expect. Teachers have adjusted their plans to help pupils develop their knowledge of this area.  Teachers have identified the important knowledge that pupils have missed during the spring and summer terms in subjects other than English and mathematics. For instance, in personal, social and health education, pupils in Year 6 were not taught about the physical and emotional changes associated with adolescence. You have plans in place to address these gaps in learning as the year progresses.  You described how you deliver remote education to pupils who are self- isolating. When an individual is self-isolating, the class teacher uses a range of online resources to help the pupil continue their learning in most subjects.  If pupils in a class and/or combined year group ‘bubble’ have to self-isolate, teachers provide daily lessons in English, mathematics and one other subject.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

Teachers also provide two religious education lessons each week and encourage pupils to take part in thirty minutes’ physical activity each day.

p.3

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 governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Shrewsbury, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Trafford. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3