Setting

Stuart Cleary Acting Headteacher Lady Lumley’s School Swainsea Lane Pickering North Yorkshire YO18 8NG

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Lady Lumley’s School

Following my remote inspection with Graham Findlay, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 2 March 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 Lady Lumley’s 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 Lady Lumley’s School

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 Lady Lumley’s School

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

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Lady Lumley’s School

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) 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, the previous headteacher has left the school. The deputy headteacher was appointed as acting headteacher and has carried out this role since June 2020. A new headteacher will join the school in April 2021. The governing body has been replaced by an interim executive board. The school is scheduled to convert to an academy as part of the Scalby Learning Trust in the summer term 2021.

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Context

 Across the autumn term 2020, few pupils were educated remotely. There were three occasions when ‘bubbles’ of pupils from particular year groups were required to work from home.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, approximately one in 20 pupils were being educated on site. Approximately half of the school’s vulnerable pupils were being educated on site. Half of those pupils with an education, health and care plan were attending on site.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, a very small proportion of staff were absent due to COVID-19.

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Main findings

 Leaders are working with pupils and families to maintain a broad curriculum. They have worked with pupils and staff to prepare them for new ways of working. Leaders have checked that pupils have access to appropriate technology. Teachers think carefully about how the curriculum will be taught remotely. This includes reviewing the order in which lessons occur.

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Main findings

 Leaders check pupils’ attendance at lessons. They pay close attention to pupils’ engagement with lessons. This includes checking the quality of the work that pupils submit. Parents and carers receive regular feedback on how well their children are working. These approaches are securing good levels of pupil involvement in their learning.

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Main findings

 Leaders have made sure that pupils can share their work with their teachers. Pupils receive guidance and feedback on their work. In music and drama, pupils submit videos of their performance work. In French and German, pupils record and share examples of their speaking work. Teachers provide special resources in art to enable pupils to complete more varied work. These opportunities are maintaining breadth in the curriculum.

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Main findings

 Leaders have increased communication with parents. They have responded to requests to provide more online drop-in sessions for pupils. This improving dialogue has supported pupils’ education in the current context. The majority of parents who expressed their views were highly appreciative of the support provided by leaders and teachers.  Leaders pay particular attention to the needs of vulnerable pupils. They make regular contact with pupils and families to check their learning and well-being. Where necessary, leaders have provided technology and other resources to support pupils. They check how well these pupils are taking part in education. They provide additional support for vulnerable pupils at school. Leaders also work with other agencies to secure extra help.

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Main findings

 Leaders are encouraging pupils in Year 11 and in the sixth form to follow a ‘business as usual’ approach. Despite changes to this summer’s examinations, they are motivating these pupils to maintain focus on their chosen subjects. They are providing pupils with personal guidance to support their next steps in education and training.

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Main findings

 Leaders are helping pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to get the support they need. They check how these pupils are working at home and at school. Teachers adapt remote education for pupils with SEND. They record commentaries to help pupils understand remote education materials. Teachers also provide technology such as ‘reading pens’ to support pupils who need extra help to access reading materials. Teaching assistants provide extra support for pupils in school and for those working at home.

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Main findings

 Members of the interim executive board check leaders’ actions to provide education at this time. They ask how the needs of vulnerable pupils, and pupils with SEND, are being met. They talk to leaders to seek assurance on how pupils are responding to remote education. They also check the work of leaders in ensuring that pupils are safe.

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Main findings

 The local authority has provided external assurance of the school’s work to improve safety in the school. The local authority has also checked aspects of the schools’ remote education provision. Leaders from a local trust are working with school leaders to build leadership capacity. They are supporting school leaders in helping them to evaluate the effect of their improvement work.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We held meetings with senior leaders to discuss actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown. We also talked to curriculum leaders and a group of school staff. We held meetings with three members of the interim executive board, including the chair. We talked to two groups of pupils who were attending school.

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Evidence

We talked to a senior adviser from the local authority. We also talked to colleagues from a local academy trust who have been providing additional support. We looked at examples of remote education and examples of pupils’ work. We considered 80 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and 144 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire, including 132 free-text responses.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the interim executive board, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for North Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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