Setting

Luke Rees Head of School Bugle School Fore Street Bugle St Austell Cornwall PL26 8PD

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Bugle School

Following my remote inspection with Lydia Pride, Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI), of your school on 3 and 4 February 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to provide education to all pupils during the current circumstances.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Bugle School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 (2) of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted's published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections remain temporarily suspended. It was additional to the usual monitoring process for schools that are judged to have serious weaknesses.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Bugle School

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, this monitoring inspection was carried out remotely. As such, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would normally be the case during an on-site inspection. As a result, this letter provides a more limited level of assurance than our usual monitoring reports.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Bugle School

The inspection took place because the school was judged to have serious weaknesses at its previous section 5 inspection. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in May 2019.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Bugle School

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 on the school, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

to provide education in the current circumstances. Ofsted

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

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

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Context

 Since the previous inspection, you have taken on the role of head of school. You have appointed a new literacy leader, early years leader and nursery manager. The school’s strategic partner changed in January 2021.

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Context

 During the autumn term 2020, you closed two year-group ‘bubbles’. Approximately two thirds of pupils were absent during the autumn term due to self-isolation, pending a negative test result. The average period of absence for these pupils was three days.

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Context

 Currently, approximately 30% of all pupils are attending school. This has steadily increased since the start of the third national lockdown. One third of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are attending school. The proportion of vulnerable pupils and children of keyworkers attending school has increased since 5 January 2021.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, two members of staff were shielding from COVID-19 and working from home.

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Main findings

 You have made sure there are no barriers to pupils accessing education at this time. Parents, staff and pupils are familiar with the school’s online platforms. You have provided technical devices, access to internet data and paper copies of learning so that pupils can access education remotely.

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Main findings

 Approximately three quarters of pupils regularly engage with their learning. You rightly maintain regular contact with families to offer support if they need it. You keep in touch with families, where engagement with education remains low, to ensure pupils are safe and well. As a result, the number of pupils regularly engaging with education has increased since the school partially closed.

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Main findings

 The current education provision reflects, as closely as possible, the school’s normal curriculum. You are prioritising daily phonics, literacy, mathematics and at least one other subject.

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Main findings

 In phonics, teachers are following the school’s agreed approach. Pupils have regular opportunities to practise reading with books that contain sounds they know. You are continuing to run the phonics groups that were in place when the school was open to all pupils. Teachers provide activities based on what pupils know, can do and understand. Pupils who are behind benefit from a phonics tutor to help them to catch up.

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Main findings

 In mathematics, pupils are following the usual curriculum, including in the early years. Teachers know some pupils have large gaps in their knowledge of number facts, so they are beginning to adapt the curriculum to help pupils to catch up. However, this is not yet routinely helping pupils to build on what they already know, can do and understand.

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Main findings

 There are curriculum plans in place for phonics and mathematics. In writing and reading, plans are less embedded. Pupils have opportunities to develop their writing, but the curriculum does not always build on what pupils already know.

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Main findings

 During the first national lockdown, subject leaders developed new curriculum plans for science and the foundation subjects. Teachers began to follow these in September 2020. You recognise the need to support teachers to sequence the curriculum so that pupils know and remember more over time.

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Main findings

 One third of pupils with SEND are currently in school. These pupils continue to receive support and interventions. You are currently supporting teachers to set targets that are more closely matched to pupils’ needs. Pupils with an education, health and care plan are currently accessing education remotely. The special educational needs coordinator makes regular contact with these families to ensure support continues. The proportion of pupils with SEND who regularly engage with education has increased week on week.

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Main findings

 The multi-academy trust has supported you to provide education in the current circumstances. For example, it has helped you to establish online platforms for remote education and provided you with technical training and devices. You have also benefited from curriculum guidance within the multi- academy trust, including support to help you to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. All staff that inspectors spoke with were positive about the impact of this support.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. Inspectors held meetings with the head of school, strategic partners, other senior leaders, teaching staff and the multi-academy trust chief executive officer to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

Inspectors considered information about the school’s remote education offer on the school website. Leaders provided inspectors with examples of remote education they provide for pupils. Inspectors considered 29 responses to the online survey, Parent View. They also considered 21 responses to the staff survey.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of the ASPIRE multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Cornwall. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely

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