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

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Michelle Gay Headteacher Osborne Primary School Osborne Road Erdington Birmingham West Midlands B23 6TY

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Ofsted visit to Obsorne Primary School

Following my visit with Heather Simpson, 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 Obsorne 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 Obsorne 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 Obsorne Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the three assistant headteachers, the pastoral manager, the information technology leader and the attendance officer. 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 to pupils in Years 1 to 6 on 2 September 2020. It opened part time to children in Reception on 9 September 2020, and full time on 16 September 2020. All pupils are now attending full time.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with what it is normal at this time of year. You are working closely with families to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.  Pupils in Years 1 to 6 are studying the same national curriculum subjects as they would normally in the autumn term. In English and mathematics, you are making some changes to what you are teaching. This is to cover some of the content that pupils missed during the summer term.  You have checked younger pupils’ phonic knowledge and older pupils’ reading fluency and comprehension. You have found that younger pupils need more practise blending sounds. Older pupils are not reading as fluently as you would expect them to. As a result, you are providing more opportunities for pupils to

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

practise reading.  In writing and mathematics, teachers are checking what pupils know and remember in each topic. They are using this to plan what they are going to teach pupils next.  In other subjects, pupils are studying the topics they would normally. Teachers check what pupils know about the topic before they start to teach. They keep an eye on what pupils understand during lessons.  In Reception, you have checked children’s speaking and listening skills. More children do not have the speaking and listening skills you expect compared to previous years. You are providing support to help these children catch up.  You have been developing a plan for how to deliver the curriculum remotely, should this be needed. Pupils will have some lessons online. You also intend to provide packs of work for pupils to complete on paper.

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

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