Setting

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

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Frances Wygladala Headteacher St Kentigern’s Catholic Primary School Newton Drive Blackpool Lancashire FY3 8BT

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Ofsted visit to St Kentigern’s Catholic Primary School

Following my visit with Naomi Taylor, 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 St Kentigern’s Catholic 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 St Kentigern’s Catholic 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 St Kentigern’s Catholic Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and other leaders, including one in a video call. 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 for pupils in Years 1 to 6 on 2 September 2020. Children in the Reception class joined full time from 28 September 2020.  Pupils’ attendance is similar to that normally seen for this time of year.  At the start of this school year, all pupils studied the same subject content, tailored for each year group. They are now studying their usual subjects. Teachers have adjusted some subject content to make sure that learning is as safe and enjoyable as possible. You are aiming for the curriculum to be back to normal by summer term 2021.  You have checked how well pupils have remembered knowledge they had gained before this school year. You found that some pupils have forgotten some information. Teachers have adapted their plans to help pupils to make up any lost ground.  You are using the school’s phonics scheme as normal, to build up pupils’ reading skills as quickly as possible. You have changed the way reading books

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

are used. For example, you have made electronic copies of books available so that it is easier for pupils to practise their reading at home.  You are using a mathematics scheme that includes extra subject content to help pupils catch up on any learning they have missed or forgotten since March 2020.  You have not been able to start topics in other subjects by using visits out of school as you would usually do. You have used some online experiences to take their place.  You communicated with parents and carers online while the school was not fully open, to keep in touch and set work for pupils. You have planned for staff to receive training in providing more interactive remote learning, should this be needed.

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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 Lancaster, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Blackpool Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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