Setting

Richard Barnes Headteacher Fleetwood High School Broadway Fleetwood Lancashire FY7 8HE

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Fleetwood High School

Following my remote inspection with Nasim Butt, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 25 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 Fleetwood High 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 Fleetwood High 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 Fleetwood High 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 January 2019.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Fleetwood High 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 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

 ensure that staff receive subject-specific training which enables them to deliver the planned curriculum effectively.

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Context

 Since the previous inspection, the senior leadership team has increased in size and been restructured. A head of school improvement has also been appointed.

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Context

 Across the autumn term 2020, nearly half of pupils had at least one short period of remote education. Pupils in Year 10 were affected more than any other year group.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, most pupils were being educated remotely. Approximately half of vulnerable pupils were being educated on site. Nearly all pupils with education, health and care plans were attending school.

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Main findings

 You used what you had learned from the first national lockdown to improve your remote education offer. As a result, leaders were well prepared for the most recent restrictions. This means that pupils’ education has continued during the current challenging circumstances. All pupils follow their usual curriculum, either remotely or on site. Pupils continue to learn through a combination of live lessons, videos and independent tasks. Parents and carers acknowledge the efforts of you and your team to provide education in the current circumstances. Most recently, you and your team have begun to check how well pupils understand the subject content taught through remote education.

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Main findings

 Leaders are focusing on developing an ambitious curriculum. This work began before the pandemic and has continued throughout. Leaders have thought about the knowledge they expect pupils to learn. You have written and introduced new curriculum plans in each subject. Subject planning builds in time for pupils to recall prior learning. Nevertheless, sometimes this does not clearly identify what knowledge pupils need to recall.

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Main findings

 Training for staff has continued throughout the pandemic. For example, leaders have provided staff with a range of effective training to deliver the curriculum remotely. That said, due to the current circumstances, teachers have not received sufficient subject-specific training to enable them to deliver the new curriculum as well as they might.

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Main findings

 During the national restrictions, leaders have swapped round the sequence of learning in some subjects. The teaching of some subject content has been postponed until the school reopens to all pupils. Typically, this is subject content which requires practical work. For example, in science, pupils will now study electricity later in the year. This is because leaders want pupils to build and test electrical circuits using the specialist equipment in school.

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Main findings

 Currently, leaders are providing additional academic and pastoral support for Year 11 pupils. Following checks on pupils’ learning during the autumn term, leaders amended the order of subject content in the Year 11 curriculum. This means that teachers can support pupils to overcome specific gaps in their learning.

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Main findings

 The development of pupils’ reading, writing and spoken language has underpinned leaders’ work to provide education in the current circumstances. This includes making sure that pupils learn subject-specific vocabulary and use it correctly. Throughout the pandemic, staff have encouraged all pupils, including those who are vulnerable, to read regularly and for pleasure. In January, leaders had planned to introduce a new programme to support pupils who are unable to read fluently and accurately. This programme has been delayed due to the third national lockdown.

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Main findings

 Prior to the pandemic, leaders sharpened their focus on identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This has allowed staff to gain a greater understanding of pupils’ specific needs and to prioritise the support that they offer pupils. For example, teaching assistants work closely with teachers and pastoral leads so that they can tailor support for pupils with SEND. This approach has continued throughout the national lockdown. An on- site student counsellor works with the pastoral team to support vulnerable pupils’ emotional well-being during this time.

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Main findings

 Governors’ support and challenge have not stopped during the pandemic. For example, the governing body has asked leaders helpful questions about pupils’ participation in remote education. Leaders and governors identified that some pupils, particularly those with SEND, were finding it harder than their peers to learn remotely. Leaders acted swiftly to support these pupils. For instance, pupils were offered the opportunity to study on site.

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Main findings

 The school benefits from being an associate member of a multi-academy trust. Through this membership, subject leaders work with leaders from other schools to develop their curriculum expertise. The local authority has also provided valuable support to subject leaders with their work to develop and evaluate the curriculum.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, other senior leaders, subject leaders, 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. We also reviewed documentation provided by the school, including curriculum and school improvement plans, and visited a small sample of live lessons. We looked at responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including 62 free- text comments, and 85 staff questionnaires.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Lancashire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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