Setting

Nicole Fowles Headteacher Coleshill Heath School Lime Grove Chelmsley Wood Birmingham B37 7PY

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Coleshill Heath School

Following my remote inspection with Mark Howes, Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI), of your school on 10 and 11 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 Coleshill Heath 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 require improvement.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Coleshill Heath 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 Coleshill Heath School

The inspection took place because the school has received three successive judgements of requires improvement. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in May 2018.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Coleshill Heath 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

 The leadership of the school is the same as at the time of the previous inspection.

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Context

 Approximately one fifth of the pupils had to be educated remotely at some point in the autumn term. Some classes had to be sent home more than once. Pupils in Year 4 were particularly affected by this.

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Context

 Currently, around 20% of pupils are attending school on site. This includes most of the pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, others with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), almost all of the children looked after and the majority of the school’s vulnerable pupils.

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Main findings

 You believe that your pupils deserve the best education. You have seized the challenge of delivering your curriculum remotely as an opportunity to continue your ongoing drive to improve the quality of education.

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Main findings

 Since March 2020, you have developed a well-thought-out approach to delivering the curriculum remotely. The approach is flexible to suit the content of different subjects and what is possible in the current context. It includes recorded lessons for pupils to view at their convenience, workbooks, phone calls from staff, video meetings and messaging with parents.

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Main findings

 You are determined that pupils will continue to learn as much of their usual curriculum as possible. However, you have identified that not everything can happen as it would in school. You are mindful not to add to the disadvantage many of your pupils face. For example, pupils would miss out on aspects of computing or design and technology if they lack access to appropriate resources. Therefore, you have chosen to wait until pupils are back in school to teach these subjects fully.

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Main findings

 Your curriculum clearly sets out the knowledge pupils need in each subject at every stage. This precision helps teachers to adapt the curriculum as needed. For example, current Year 3 pupils did not complete the planned work about the countries of Europe in Year 2. They were due to begin Year 3 by learning about Ancient Greece. Pupils need to know about the location and climate of Greece before they can succeed in this topic. Teachers made sure that pupils learned the missed geography knowledge before teaching the history content.

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Main findings

 The detail in the curriculum plans helps teachers to focus on teaching essential knowledge. Teachers weave assessment through lessons, including those viewed remotely. Therefore, teachers know whether pupils have remembered prior learning and if they are grasping new content.  You continue to deliver your effective phonics programme to pupils in school and, as far as possible, to those learning at home. Teachers send videos of themselves and published resources to teach the phonics that pupils need to learn. They provide reading materials that match the sounds pupils know. Teachers read to pupils frequently, either in person or via video links. They hold weekly video discussions about what pupils are reading.

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Main findings

 In school, vulnerable pupils and pupils with SEND work in small class bubbles. They access the same recorded lessons as pupils at home with support from the teacher or teaching assistant. You have set up a facility to provide for pupils’ social, emotional and mental health needs which you believe is serving these pupils well.

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Main findings

 Teachers provide well-tailored learning packs for pupils with SEND who are learning at home. These include a variety of materials, activities and resources geared towards helping pupils to meet the targets in their EHC plans. This might include games, workbooks or, where needed, a laptop to help the pupil work at home in the way that suits them best. Pupils still have access to specialist services, either face-to-face or virtually through video meetings.

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Main findings

 Governors have provided resources and considerable expertise to support your efforts to deliver the best possible education for pupils at this time. They share your ambition to keep the quality of education improving despite the current challenges. Governors have managed to strike a balance between providing support to you and maintaining an appropriate level of challenge to ensure pupils continue to receive the education they deserve.

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Main findings

 Your staff have worked hard to provide a quality of education in the current circumstances that meets your high expectations. You continue to work closely with the local authority and other school-improvement organisations. Therefore, while it has not been necessary to this point, you know that support is available should you need it to develop the educational offer further.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, other senior leaders, pupils, staff, representatives of those responsible for governance, and a representative of the local authority to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

We also viewed samples of the lessons that are being delivered remotely, heard a pupil read to an adult in school and looked at examples of the work submitted by pupils who are learning remotely. We looked at responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 37 free-text responses, and 53 staff questionnaires. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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