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

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Damian Kenny Executive Headteacher Park View Academy Huyton Liverpool L36 2LL

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Ofsted remote visit to Park View Academy

Following my remote visit with Emma Gregory, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 24 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 Park View 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.

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Ofsted remote visit to Park View 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 remote visit to Park View Academy

During the visit, we spoke to you, the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders. 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:

 Since the start of term, approximately one third of pupils have spent time learning from home.  You told us that pupils are studying their usual range of curriculum subjects. You have made changes to the content of some subjects to allow more time for English, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic education. You intend to return to the school’s normal curriculum content by autumn 2021.  Teachers’ checks on pupils’ new starting points in reading have informed you that pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 have forgotten some of their phonic knowledge. You are providing additional time and support to help these pupils revisit the letters and sounds that they learned previously. You have also increased the number of opportunities for older pupils to read and write for sustained periods of time.  You informed us that, in mathematics, pupils have forgotten some key number facts, such as multiplication tables. Teachers have revisited earlier learning on

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

number so that pupils can regain their knowledge of number and calculations.  You explained how teachers have adapted their curriculum plans to help pupils to catch up in subjects other than English and mathematics. For example, in history, pupils have completed projects to learn the knowledge and skills that they missed in the spring and summer terms.  You described how a combination of paper-based and online resources are provided for those pupils learning at home. Teachers provide a timetable of activities for pupils to complete. This includes phonics lessons for younger pupils.

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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 chief executive officer of the Dean Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Knowsley. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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