Setting

Josie Payne Headteacher Glenwood School Washington Road Emsworth Hampshire PO10 7NN

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Glenwood School

Following my remote inspection with Julie Sackett, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 30 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 Glenwood 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 Glenwood 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 Glenwood School

The inspection took place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in December 2019.

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Glenwood 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 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

 improve governors’ scrutiny of leaders’ work

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 develop the curriculum, with an urgent focus on reading

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 ensure that pupils attend school as frequently as possible.

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Context

 Glenwood is a special school catering for pupils who have moderate learning needs. All pupils have education, health and care (EHC) plans.

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Context

 Since the last inspection, there have been changes to governance, including new co-chairs of the governing body.

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Context

 Approximately 60% of pupils were educated at home when the school was partially closed at the start of the spring term 2021. During this time, about 80% of vulnerable pupils attended on site.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, roughly 85% of pupils were attending on site. Leaders are working to support other pupils who are reluctant to return to school.

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Main findings

 Whether pupils are currently working at home or school, leaders ensure that they receive support to meet their EHC targets and study their usual subjects. Pupils who have returned to work at school are happy to be back and recognise that it is much easier to learn. One pupil explained that this is because Glenwood is ‘a good place with nice people’.

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Main findings

 Leaders have continued to develop and refine the curriculum. Many subjects now have a clear intended sequence of learning set out. Planning documents reflect leaders’ ambition to cover the triple aims of pupils’ EHC targets, the national curriculum, and the life skills that pupils need in order to be successful and to live independent futures.

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Main findings

 However, there is not a coherent plan for helping pupils learn to read. All staff have recently been trained to use phonics to support reading, but this was not used by staff we saw listen to pupils read. Teachers sent books home for pupils to read during the recent partial closure. This helped some pupils to practise their reading, but others did not read during this time and have fallen behind with this important skill.

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Main findings

 As pupils return to school, teachers check what they can remember and adapt plans as needed. For example, in mathematics, some pupils have benefited from revisiting learning about money and time. Teachers continue to call, email and visit pupils still working from home and their parents and carers. They provide help with pupils’ learning and check on their well-being. The feedback teachers provide is useful but is not as effective as that they provide to pupils on the school site because they are not able to pick up pupils’ misconceptions and errors straight away. Leaders are encouraging more pupils to attend school regularly so that they can benefit from face-to-face teaching and more timely feedback.

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Main findings

 Over the last year, leaders have ensured that all staff know their role in helping pupils to achieve their EHC targets. Leaders’ decision to allocate regular time to all staff for this important task has helped staff to tailor provision for pupils. This focus is now a fundamental aspect of everyday work at the school. Consequently, staff are now confident in this aspect of their work and are proud of the difference they are making for pupils.

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Main findings

 Pupils in Year 11 are supported well to plan for their post-16 options. They have grown in confidence thanks to activities including mock interviews conducted virtually. Staff have successfully transferred other work-related learning online and have plans to adapt work experience so that pupils do not miss out.

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Main findings

 Governors speak knowledgeably about developments relating to the curriculum and behaviour management in the school before the pandemic. However, they have not been sufficiently rigorous in their challenge to leaders this academic year. For example, they have not checked that statutory policies are updated. When the inspection was announced, required information for parents was not available on the school website. This was rectified during the inspection.

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Main findings

 The local authority has provided extensive support for leaders and teachers. During the spring term, when the school was partially closed, the local authority deployed extra staff to the school. This enabled more of the most vulnerable pupils to attend on site. Work to refine the curriculum has helped subject leaders develop confidence about their approach to plan pupils’ learning. However, training to improve the teaching of reading has not yet made a difference.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, other senior leaders, staff, pupils, 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 listened to some pupils read to a member of staff, considered some work by pupils and discussed teachers’ plans for mathematics, reading and science. We looked at 12 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 10 free-text responses, and 36 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Evidence

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

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