Setting

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

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Sue Sharpe Headteacher Lynnfield Primary School Grosvenor Street Hartlepool TS26 8RL

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Ofsted visit to Lynnfield Primary School

Following my visit with Alison Aitchison, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 15 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 Lynnfield 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 Lynnfield 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 Lynnfield Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and members of the leadership team. 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:

 The school operated a staggered opening for pupils from 3 September 2020. All pupils were expected to be in school full time from 7 September 2020.  Attendance is below the usual attendance for your school at this time of year. You are working with the local authority to support families with attendance. At the time of the visit, a Year 2 ‘bubble’ was self-isolating.  Pupils are studying the full range of subjects in all year groups. Leaders have prioritised the order of teaching subjects such as science and art. You told us that these are more difficult to deliver during a lockdown due to access to equipment.  Teachers are assessing what pupils know in mathematics, reading, writing and phonics. Leaders have assessed the emotional and mental health of all pupils. A planned recovery curriculum is in place to support identified pupils.  Leaders have identified gaps in pupils’ mathematical knowledge of previous

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

content taught. You explained that more time in the day is now spent on the teaching of mathematics.  In English, leaders have identified reading as a priority. You explain that teachers have allocated an additional two hours each week to reading activities since September 2020. Leaders have plans to return to the full curriculum by the spring term 2021.  Leaders have an online learning system to help teachers deliver the curriculum remotely. This is based on similar content to the curriculum being taught in school in most subjects. There are plans to develop this further. 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 Hartlepool Borough Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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