Setting

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

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Anthony James Headteacher Langley Primary School Titford Road Oldbury West Midlands B69 4QA

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Ofsted visit to Langley Primary School

Following my visit with Nicola Harwood, 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 Langley 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 Langley 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 Langley Primary School

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

 The school opened fully to all pupils on 3 September 2020.  Initially, attendance was broadly in line with that of the previous year. As the term progressed and local restrictions were introduced, attendance dipped. At the time of the visit, attendance was back to where it usually is for this time of year.  Pupils are studying their usual subjects. This half term, pupils are recapping knowledge and skills from the previous year. You intend that all pupils will return to their normal curriculum after October half term.  Your routine assessment procedures are being used to check what pupils know and can do. Learning support assistants provide help in the classroom for pupils who need to catch up.  You prioritise the teaching of reading. In Year 2, teachers have checked what sounds pupils know already. You told us that teachers read to their class daily and have chosen new texts to use.  In mathematics, teachers are focusing on core number skills, such as addition,

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

subtraction and fractions. Pupils use an online programme to practise their multiplication tables in school and at home.  You have adjusted the order in which you teach topics in some subjects. For example, you have decided to focus on building relationships and establishing routines first in personal, social and health education. This is because you want to help pupils with their return to school.  Pupils currently access learning at home through your school website. You are in the process of moving to a new online platform for remote education, should it be needed.

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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 Sandwell. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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