Setting

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

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Calvin Henry Headteacher St Mary’s C of E Primary School Church Lane Hornsey London N8 7BU

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Ofsted visit to St Mary’s C of E Primary School

Following my visit with Gary Rawlings, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 29 September 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 St Mary’s C of E 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 St Mary’s C of E 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 St Mary’s C of E Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the senior leadership team, including leaders 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:

 The school opened for all pupils on 2 September 2020. Pupils are attending full time.  Pupils’ attendance is slightly lower than it would typically be for this time of year. You said that you are checking the reasons for pupils’ absence and working with families to support their children’s return to school.  Pupils are studying the same subjects as in previous years. You and your team intend to make sure that teaching covers essential learning that pupils have missed over the last six months. You said that this was an important part of your work to ensure that pupils returned to their usual curriculum by summer 2021.  In the first week of term, teachers checked pupils’ phonics knowledge to find out which sounds pupils may have forgotten. Daily phonics sessions include opportunities for pupils to revisit and practise these sounds, as well as learn new content. You said that teachers are keeping a close eye on pupils’ reading

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

to make sure that all pupils get back on track.  Teachers have also checked what pupils remember in mathematics. Teachers identified that pupils need to develop their understanding of percentages, as well as practise mental calculation strategies. You and your team have adapted planning to help pupils catch up in these areas of mathematics.  In other subjects, teachers are checking pupils’ new starting points. In each subject, you and your team plan to adapt future topics to plug any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Some pupils, particularly those who speak English as an additional language, are receiving extra help aimed at getting them back on track in all subjects.  You have developed plans to deliver the curriculum remotely if needed. Teachers are focusing on how to improve the quality of what pupils learn and do remotely across all subjects.

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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 with us 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 Haringey. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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