Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Neil Verdin Headteacher Pleasant Street Primary School Pleasant Street Liverpool Merseyside L3 5TS

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Ofsted visit to Pleasant Street Primary School

Following my visit with Ian Hardman, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 1 October 2020, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the visit’s findings. Thank you for the time you made available to discuss your actions since September 2020, when the government expected all schools to open fully to all pupils.

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Ofsted visit to Pleasant Street Primary School

This visit was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections are temporarily suspended.

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Ofsted visit to Pleasant Street Primary School

Ofsted’s visits to schools during the autumn term are not inspections. We are not giving graded judgements. We did not undertake the usual range of inspection activities and were unable to check other sources of evidence, such as visits to lessons or looking at pupils’ work. The content of this letter gives an overview of our discussions about what has happened in your school this term.

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Ofsted visit to Pleasant Street Primary School

During the visit, we spoke with you and members of the senior leadership team, including the senior leader responsible for safeguarding. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

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Context

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s education system is managing the return to full education for pupils following an extended break in formal schooling due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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Context

In undertaking this focused work, HMI are visiting a broad range of schools. HMI will visit a sample of:

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Context

 approximately 1,200 schools across all Ofsted grades (outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate)  maintained schools, academies and free schools, special schools and centres of alternative provision, including those in cities, and coastal, town or rural communities.

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Context

The information from this visit will feed into Ofsted’s national reporting so that the insights can be shared with the government and the education sector. We did not find any significant concerns during the visit. In such a case, an inspection report would be published on our website and available to parents and carers.

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Context

We did not consider your response to COVID-19 during the spring and summer terms 2020, when the school was not open to all pupils.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 You opened the school to all pupils on 3 September 2020. All year groups are expected to attend full time.  Some pupils from other schools attend the speech and language unit at Pleasant Street Primary School on a part-time basis. These pupils access this provision after a short settling-in period at their own schools.  Pupils’ current attendance is lower than usual for this time of the year. This is because some pupils’ parents are international students who have not returned from their home country due to COVID-19. Other families have returned and are in quarantine. You have kept in touch with all families to help pupils to return as soon as possible.  All pupils, including children in early years, are accessing all subjects that make up the school’s usual curriculum. However, you have made some adaptations to the curriculum content that pupils are studying this term. This is to support a smooth return to school. You expect to return to your usual

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

curriculum by Christmas 2020. You are also focusing on helping pupils to settle into new routines.  Your teachers have checked what pupils know and can do in mathematics. They have identified aspects that pupils are struggling with. Teachers have adapted their planning to reflect pupils’ new starting points.  Teachers have also checked how well pupils across the school are doing in reading. For the youngest children in the Reception class and for pupils from Year 1 to Year 4, teachers have checked pupils’ phonic knowledge. Additional support is planned for pupils and younger children who need to catch up.  Teachers have had to change some of the activities that they would normally do with pupils to enhance learning in the wider curriculum. For example, in history, geography and religious education, leaders are delaying external visits to places of interest until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.  You have developed a programme of remote learning. Many parents have told

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

you that they find this resource helpful. This is particularly the case for pupils who are not currently attending school. You feel well prepared to support pupils’ remote education, should there be any further periods of COVID-19 restrictions.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

Thank you again for contributing to this important national work. The views and experiences you have shared will help to inform future policy.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

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

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