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

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Joanna Dentith Headteacher Uffculme Primary School Ashley Road Uffculme Devon EX15 3AY

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Ofsted visit to Uffculme Primary School

Following my visit with Tracey Reynolds, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 22 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 Uffculme 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 Uffculme 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 Uffculme Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to the senior 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:

 Most pupils returned to school full time on 7 September 2020. Pupils in Reception attended part time for the first few days, then full time from 11 September 2020.  Currently attendance is slightly higher than the normal attendance for this time of year.  Pupils are studying the full range of subjects, with some adaptations. You have given a high priority to physical education in the curriculum, to improve pupils’ physical development and readiness to learn. Pupils are learning some aspects of the music curriculum online.  Your assessments of pupils’ reading have shown that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Pupils who need to catch up are receiving extra teaching that is focused on their needs.  You have noticed that pupils in Reception need more support with their speaking and listening than is usually the case. You are giving pupils more time to develop these skills before introducing the first letters and sounds.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 In mathematics, you have found that pupils have lost some confidence with numbers. To address this, you have reorganised the mathematics curriculum so that pupils can secure this knowledge before moving on to other topics. Pupils who need extra practice are attending classes after school.  You have identified what each pupil has missed in each subject. In science, you intend that pupils will revisit this knowledge in full. In history and geography, pupils will learn the essential knowledge and skills they missed as they study the rest of the curriculum.  You have reviewed the arrangements you have in place for remote learning in case this is needed in the future. You have added to the range of online resources pupils can use. Pupils will follow a timetable based on the normal school day.

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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 board of trustees, the chief executive officer of the Uffculme Academy Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Devon. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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