Setting

Ruth McNeil Headteacher Landau Forte Academy Moorhead Brackens Lane Alvaston Derby Derbyshire DE24 0AN

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Moorhead

Following my remote inspection with Roary Pownall, Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI), of your school on 23 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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Moorhead

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 special measures.

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Moorhead

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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Moorhead

The inspection took place because the school was judged to require special measures at its previous two section 5 inspections. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in March 2019.

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Moorhead

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 Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 support pupils who have not participated regularly with remote education, so that gaps in learning, particularly in phonics, close rapidly.

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Context

 The headteacher and assistant headteacher have joined the school since the last inspection. The school is currently without a leader who has responsibility for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Several new governors have joined the governing body.

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Context

 Over the autumn term, very small numbers of pupils needed to self-isolate at home.

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Context

 Currently, approximately 80% of the school’s population are learning from home. The vast majority of the school’s vulnerable pupils are in school, along with two thirds of the pupils with SEND.

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Main findings

 Leaders have made education available to pupils both at home and in school. Most pupils with SEND and those who are vulnerable are working in school. The trust has provided laptops for pupils who do not have one. Despite this, some pupils are not accessing remote education as often as leaders would like. Staff are in touch with these families, but their actions to increase involvement with education have not always worked.

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Main findings

 Before the pandemic, leaders developed their curriculum. They are continuing to use this curriculum to plan learning for pupils during the lockdown. Leaders have made some changes to what pupils learn so it is more accessible for those at home. For example, leaders have changed the music curriculum to make it more suitable for home learning. In the early years, staff are encouraging parents to use things around the house to help learning. For instance, by using pairs of socks to count in twos.

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Main findings

 At the beginning of term, leaders set up two teams of staff to plan learning. One team plans for pupils who were being educated in school, and the other for those learning at home. By working in this way, teachers can plan how best to deliver learning for pupils virtually or face to face. These teams work together to make sure pupils in and out of school receive the same content. Teachers in school provide specific support for pupils when needed. This might be by taking learning outside, or by using resources to help with new learning. Some pupils at home have catch-up sessions with staff before or after virtual lessons.

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Main findings

 Leaders have made sure that pupils are still accessing the school’s phonics programme. Pupils learning at home have covered the same sounds as they would have if they had been in school. Some pupils at home are not participating regularly with learning. They are developing gaps in their phonic knowledge. While there was some catch up in the autumn term, some of these pupils already have gaps in their knowledge that emerged due to lost learning in the summer term 2020. They are at risk of falling even further behind.

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Main findings

 A leader for pupils with SEND, who works at another school in the trust, is currently providing support to staff. Most of the school’s pupils with SEND are working in school. Staff are adapting the curriculum by breaking knowledge down into smaller parts, or by using resources to adapt learning. Staff keep in touch with the few pupils with SEND who are learning at home. They give extra help if needed.

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Main findings

 The governing body is newly formed this term. Governors are reviewing the programme of remote learning by watching recordings of online lessons. They are asking leaders questions about how remote learning works, for example how teachers are checking what pupils have learned.

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Main findings

 The trust has appointed a new leadership team. They have sourced support while the school is without a leader for pupils with SEND. Throughout the pandemic, they have provided governors with regular updates about national policy, well-being and local trust news. The chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust and headteacher meet regularly to discuss strategies about how to improve the school.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, other senior leaders, teachers and support staff, the multi-academy trust chief executive officer, the vice- chief executive officer, the trust’s director for education, a representative of the trust board, and the chair of the governing body to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

We also viewed examples of recorded lessons and saw pupils reading with a familiar adult. We looked at responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 11 free-text responses, and 25 staff questionnaires.

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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 Landau Forte charitable multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Derby. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely

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