Setting

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

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William Jaworski Headteacher Redhills Primary School Landhayes Road Exeter Devon EX4 2BY

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Ofsted visit to Redhills Primary School

Following my visit with Tracey Reynolds, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 13 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 Redhills 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 Redhills 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 Redhills 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. You arranged for pupils joining Reception to start gradually. These pupils attended full time from 11 September 2020.  Currently, attendance is in line with the normal attendance for this time of year.  Pupils are studying the full range of subjects. However, you are making some adaptations to the order and settings in which pupils learn the curriculum. For example, you are teaching some aspects of the music curriculum outdoors.  Your assessments of pupils’ reading have shown that pupils have gaps in their knowledge. To address this, reading has a high priority in your curriculum plans. For example, pupils now study traditional texts each term.  You have found that some of the children attending the pre-school need extra support with their communication and use of language. Teachers have planned outdoor investigations for the children to promote opportunities for

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

talk.  In mathematics, you have noticed that pupils have lost some fluency with numbers. You are using online resources to support pupils with this. Teachers are working together to identify what each pupil needs to learn next.  You have arrangements in place for remote learning in case this is needed again. You are providing paper-based and online options for families. Your plans include some live online teaching. 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, and the chief executive officer of the Academy for Character and Excellence multi-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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