Setting

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

p.1

Mrs Amy Parrott Headteacher Priory Lane Community School Priory Lane Scunthorpe Lincolnshire DN17 1HE

p.1

Ofsted visit to Priory Lane Community School

Following my visit with Tracey Ralph, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 15 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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Priory Lane Community 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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Priory Lane Community 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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Priory Lane Community School

During the visit, we spoke to you and members of the senior leadership team, including the senior leader responsible for safeguarding. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

p.1

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.

p.1

Context

In undertaking this focused work, HMI are visiting a broad range of schools. HMI will visit a sample of:

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 The school opened to all pupils on 3 September 2020. Children in the Reception Year had a phased start to the term and were expected to attend full time from 14 September 2020.  Pupils’ attendance is slightly higher than usual for your school at this time of year.  Pupils are studying the range of subjects that make up the school’s usual curriculum.  Leaders asked teachers to check pupils’ new starting points in reading. You explained that teachers have identified gaps in pupils’ knowledge of phonics and found that some pupils are less fluent readers than they were in March 2020. You have adjusted the curriculum so that more time is spent on phonics and reading to help pupils catch up.  Teachers have checked whether pupils have remembered what they have previously been taught in mathematics. You told us that you have changed the curriculum for mathematics to help pupils to rebuild their knowledge of times

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

tables and calculation strategies. Some pupils are taking part in extra mathematics lessons to help them catch up.  Teachers have considered the content that pupils missed in subjects such as science and geography. You told us that you have made some temporary changes to the curriculum to ensure that this content is covered. For example, pupils in Year 2 are studying an additional topic about flowering plants to help them learn science content they should have covered in Year 1.  You are currently providing remote education to a small number of pupils who are self-isolating. You explained that the remote curriculum matches the content of the curriculum being taught in school. In the event of larger groups being required to self-isolate, you feel that your staff will be able to deliver the curriculum remotely.

p.2

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.

p.3

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 North Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3