Setting

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

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Susan Marsh Headteacher Holly Spring Primary School Lily Hill Road Bracknell Berkshire RG12 2SW

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Ofsted visit to Holly Spring Primary School

Following my visit with Shazia Akram, 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 Holly Spring 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 Holly Spring 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 Holly Spring Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, your three deputy headteachers and your special needs coordinator. We did not speak to pupils, teaching staff or parents because of the social distancing 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 all pupils on 3 September 2020. All year groups are attending full time.  Attendance has improved since the start of term but is still below the school’s normal figure for this time of the year. Leaders are working with families, the local authority and external agencies to help more pupils attend regularly.  Currently, pupils are not studying their usual curriculum. For social distancing reasons, the numbers of music and computing lessons have been reduced for some year groups. In addition, some aspects of practical science, art, design technology and physical education are not being taught. Leaders are planning that the full curriculum is taught by summer term 2021.  Teachers have checked pupils’ knowledge in reading and are using this information to tailor additional help for those pupils who need it. Across Years 1 to 3, phonics teaching is being adjusted to make sure any gaps in knowledge

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

can be filled. In Years 2 to 6, a fresh approach to teaching reading aims to support pupils’ vocabulary skills and improve their engagement.  Teachers have identified gaps in differing aspects of mathematical learning across different year groups. Staff are using the government’s mathematics guidance for primary schools to adapt their teaching, to make sure that pupils have the knowledge they need.  Some aspects of subjects across the wider curriculum have either been missed last term or have needed to be reduced this term. Leaders are currently reconsidering what needs to be taught, and in what order, to help pupils learn in these subjects.  Pupils unable to attend school are provided with learning that they can do at home. Leaders are establishing ways of delivering learning online using a combination of live lessons taught by school staff and links to virtual lessons and other resources.

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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 Bracknell Forest. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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