Setting

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

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Joanna Challis Head of School Frant Church of England Primary School Church Lane Frant Tunbridge Wells East Sussex TN3 9DX

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Ofsted visit to Frant Church of England Primary School

Following my visit with Harry Ingham, 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 Frant Church of England 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 Frant Church of England 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 Frant Church of England Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the executive headteacher and the senior teacher. 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. 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 pupils in Years 1 to 6 on 7 September 2020. Reception Year children started on 14 September 2020 and attended school part time for two weeks. All pupils now attend full time.  Attendance is the same as the school’s normal attendance for this time of year. You and your staff contacted all pupils’ parents prior to September 2020 to discuss any anxieties or concerns they may have had.  All pupils are studying the full range of subjects that the school normally offers. Teachers have checked pupils’ knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. They have used this information to identify and provide support to pupils who need to catch up.  You have prioritised improving pupils’ phonics and reading. Teachers have used what they know from their checks on pupils’ reading to adjust phonics teaching in Years 1 and 2. In Years 3 to 6, teachers are focusing on developing pupils’ comprehension skills.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 In mathematics, teachers are following the school’s normal curriculum. Staff are providing extra support for pupils who need to catch up the most.  In the wider curriculum, you have continued to deliver the full national curriculum and have made adaptations in some subjects. For example, teachers have focused on building pupils’ stamina in physical education. In music, staff have reviewed pupils’ use of musical instruments.  You have made plans to deliver the full curriculum remotely if needed. Recently, you used these arrangements when the village had no water and you closed the school for a day. Paper-based materials are available for pupils who do not have access to online resources.

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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 director of education for the diocese of Chichester, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for East Sussex. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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