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

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Catherine Brosnan Acting Headteacher Mansbridge School Octavia Road Swaythling Southampton SO18 2LX

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Ofsted visit to Mansbridge Primary School

Following my visit with Laurie Anderson, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 6 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 Mansbridge 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 Mansbridge 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 Mansbridge Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the headteacher and other senior leaders, and the designated safeguarding lead. 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:

 Pupils in Years 1 to 6 have attended school full time since term began on 3 September 2020. Reception children joined later, visiting school before starting part time. They have been in school full time since 5 October 2020.  Pupils’ attendance so far this term is lower than at the same time last year. Staff are helping parents understand what they need to do if they are worried their child, or a family member, has COVID-19 symptoms. Support includes when pupils should or should not be in school.  Pupils are studying all subjects except music, which leaders hope will be taught again by the beginning of the summer term. Staff are mostly teaching the normal autumn term lessons, except in physical education to avoid contact games. Leaders anticipate some challenges in teaching practical activities in subjects such as design and technology.  In reading, writing and mathematics, teachers are checking pupils’

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

knowledge and skills as part of everyday teaching. They are pleasantly surprised by what pupils have remembered. Leaders are using the usual summer term tests to identify common gaps in pupils’ learning, to help decide where to adapt the curriculum and use additional support.  In other subjects, teachers are checking pupils’ understanding before they start topics, and adapting plans as needed. Leaders are reviewing what learning pupils missed during lockdown, and what is essential that they know. The intention is to adjust the curriculum temporarily, to teach this content separately if it cannot be incorporated into existing plans.  Staff are being trained to teach lessons online so that they can deliver the normal curriculum remotely if needed. In turn, teachers are preparing pupils by making sure that they know how to access the various online resources the school uses. Where families have difficulty accessing online resources,

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

the plan is to make paper packs available.

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

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