Setting

Mrs Karen Owen Acting Headteacher CofE School of the Resurrection Pilgrim Drive Manchester Lancashire M11 3TQ

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Resurrection

Following my remote inspection with Simon Hunter, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 18 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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Resurrection

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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Resurrection

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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Resurrection

The inspection took place because the school has received one judgement of requires improvement. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in March 2019.

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Resurrection

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 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 teachers check what pupils have forgotten or missed of the curriculum in subjects other than English and mathematics and then adapt subject content so that pupils can get back on track

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 ensure that governors maintain a clear overview and understanding of the new curriculum and its implementation.

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Context

 The previous headteacher retired in September 2020. You have been acting headteacher since then. A new chair of governors was appointed in January 2020. Two members of teaching staff have left the school since the last inspection and one has been replaced.

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Context

 Just under one half of pupils were educated at home in the spring term before the school re-opened to all pupils. Half of the pupils with an education, health and care plan, and two fifths of pupils who are classed as vulnerable, were educated on site at that time. At the time of this inspection, all pupils had returned to school.

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Context

 A new headteacher has been appointed and will join the school in April 2021. You will then return to your substantive role of deputy headteacher.

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Main findings

 By the time of the third national lockdown, you had developed effective systems to ensure that pupils could continue with their education, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. You had learned from the previous partial closure of the school which pupils would benefit from being on site and which pupils could access education easily at home. You and the staff understood the support that was needed for those pupils working at home, and this support was quickly put into place.

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Main findings

 By March 2020, you had started to redesign your curriculum. Despite the restrictions caused by the pandemic, you continued to develop the curriculum further. You prioritised the development of English, mathematics and science. The leadership of these subjects is improving due to purposeful training and support. However, this is not the case elsewhere. Leaders of other subjects have not yet gained a clear oversight of the difference new curriculum plans are making to pupils’ learning.

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Main findings

 You have effective systems in place to check pupils’ learning in English and mathematics. You expect teachers to identify any forgotten or missed learning and then to adapt the curriculum so that pupils can make up for lost ground. For example, in mathematics, you have prioritised number work and times tables. Your checks show that some pupils could not remember this prior learning. You have also focused on the practical elements of some subjects now that all pupils are back in school. This includes carrying out investigations in science.

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Main findings

 In subjects other than English and mathematics, leaders have identified the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn. However, teachers have not checked the impact of the pandemic on pupils’ learning in these subjects. This means they are at the early stages of amending curriculum plans to meet pupils’ current learning needs.

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Main findings

 Reading continues to be a high priority. Pupils enjoy daily phonics lessons, which meet their needs. In some classes, teachers provide extra phonics sessions throughout the day. This is already having a positive impact on pupils’ grasp of the subject. Well-trained adults provide extra support for all pupils who are at an early stage of reading. You have also improved the range of high-quality texts available across the school. This includes an online reading scheme. This ensures that all pupils continue to read books that match well to the sounds that they know.

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Main findings

 The special educational needs coordinator has a clear understanding of pupils’ additional needs. This helps staff to provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). You have also deployed more staff to work with vulnerable pupils, including pupils with SEND. This support takes place before and after school for some pupils. This ensures that pupils do not miss out on learning across different subjects during the school day. You have continued to work closely with other agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils get the support that they need during these challenging times.

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Main findings

 Governors have continued to meet during the pandemic to offer support and challenge to you and other leaders. Staff value the attention that governors pay to their well-being. Training from the local authority has improved governors’ ability to hold you and other leaders to account, for example, through appropriate questions about the remote education offer. However, governors do not have a clear overview and understanding of the school’s new curriculum.

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Main findings

 You have continued to receive effective support from the local authority. This has helped you, and other leaders, to improve the curriculum. Teachers are also developing their subject leadership skills due to this support. The diocese has ensured that you received support in your role as acting headteacher by linking you to an experienced headteacher. You have appreciated this support. It has enabled you to tackle the many challenges faced during the pandemic with confidence and success.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, other senior leaders, pupils, staff, representatives of the governing body 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 looked at a selection of evidence to show how the curriculum is being developed and how education is currently being provided. We looked at curriculum plans, minutes from governors’ meetings and reports from local authority officer visits. We also watched pre-recorded videos showing pupils reading to a familiar adult. We considered 15 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 10 free-text responses. We also reviewed 25 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Evidence

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

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