Setting

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

p.1

Samantha Wakeling Headteacher Quarry Hill Academy Bradleigh Avenue Grays Essex RM17 5UT

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Quarry Hill Academy

Following my remote visit with Tracy Fielding, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 17 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.

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Quarry Hill 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. 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.

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Quarry Hill 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.

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Quarry Hill Academy

During the visit, we spoke to you, the deputy headteacher and the assistant headteacher. We did not speak to pupils.

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 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:

 The attendance of pupils has been typical for this time of year. A very small proportion of pupils have had to work from home since the start of the autumn term.  Pupils in all year groups are studying their usual range of subjects. Leaders say pupils have returned to their usual curriculum.  Leaders have checked where there are gaps in what pupils know, remember and can do in all subjects.  Overall in reading, Years 1 to 6 pupils do not have greater gaps in knowledge than they would typically have at this time of year. In early years, leaders say that children have shown less interest in books than is usual for the younger children joining the school.  In mathematics, staff in Reception are focusing on counting and number activities to help children with their early calculating skills. In Years 1 to 6, pupils have not missed any mathematics learning during the summer term. Teachers’ checks found pupils have remembered most of what they have

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

previously learned.  In most other subjects, leaders say that pupils have been taught the usual planned content remotely. Teachers’ checks on pupils’ knowledge in these subjects show that pupils are ready to move on to new content in their learning. In modern foreign languages, teachers are revisiting knowledge of specific vocabulary that pupils have forgotten.  Teachers provide online tasks and resources for pupils to access at home. Leaders plan that if pupils need to work at home the content of remote education is the same as if they were in school. If pupils do not have computers at home, the school provides paper copies so pupils can continue to learn.

p.2

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

p.3