Setting

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

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Pippa Todd Headteacher Alanbrooke School Alanbrooke Barracks Topcliffe Thirsk North Yorkshire YO7 3SF

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Ofsted remote visit to Alanbrooke School

Following my remote visit with Jenny Thomas, 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 Alanbrooke 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 Alanbrooke 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 Alanbrooke School

During the visit, we spoke to you. 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.

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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:

 All pupils returned to school in September, and no ‘bubbles’ have been sent home to self-isolate. However, you explained that on the advice of Public Health England, you had to close the school to staff and pupils for four days. During this time, you reverted to remote learning.  All pupils are studying the range of subjects that make up the school’s usual curriculum. You have made adaptations to the sequencing of content in physical education (PE) as swimming lessons have been suspended. You have also created links across subjects, for example, using music terminology in dance lessons, to reinforce learning that may have been lost during the period when schools were only open to some children due to COVID-19 restrictions.  You assessed pupils’ knowledge in reading and phonics on their return to school. You explained that pupils had not retained some of their learning prior to the COVID-19 restrictions. You have adapted the phonics and reading

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

curriculum by introducing additional phonics sessions to enable those pupils who were falling behind to catch up.  In mathematics, you assessed pupils’ new starting points. You found that there were gaps in pupils’ fluency and understanding of place value. You felt that this was down to lack of practice and opportunities to embed learning. Teachers are revisiting prior learning, ensuring pupils are secure in their understanding, before moving on to teach new content. In Years 1 and 2 you are utilising extra time, for example, when lining up, to do additional counting in order to improve fluency.  You have carried out a full review of the wider curriculum. Teachers have identified the knowledge and skills, in subjects such as science, that pupils need to learn. They are revisiting prior learning to check for any content that may have been missed and have introduced knowledge organisers to support pupils’ understanding.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 You have identified the need for pupils to have consistency in learning. You explained that you have systems in place to deliver the curriculum remotely when needed. This is a blend of paper-based and online learning, including some recorded teaching.  The remote-learning content offered is aligned with the curriculum delivered in school. Pupils are expected to complete activities in English, mathematics, science and PE.

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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 North Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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