Setting

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

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Carol Mason Headteacher Cheswick Green Primary School Cheswick Way Solihull West Midlands B90 4HG

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Ofsted visit to Cheswick Green Primary School

Following my visit with Jonathan Leonard, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 21 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 Cheswick Green 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 Cheswick Green 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 Cheswick Green Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and your two assistant headteachers about different aspects of school, including safeguarding. 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.

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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 from Reception to Year 6 on 2 September 2020. Nursery children had a phased return for the first two weeks.  You told us that pupils’ attendance is above your usual attendance for this time of year.  Pupils across the school are studying the usual range of subjects. Your aim is for all pupils to return to their full curriculum by summer term 2021 but this will be sooner for some year groups than others. Educational visits, visiting speakers and clubs are currently suspended.  Teachers are carrying out assessments in English and mathematics in Years 1 to 6. Teachers are using the information gathered to find out what gaps exist in pupils’ learning. You told us that writing is now a priority area in terms of content and sentence construction.  Reading is a whole-school priority. Additional support is provided for pupils who need help to catch up. You are carrying out a reading review to find out

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

what new books you need to buy to improve pupils’ reading.  Teachers are checking pupils’ mathematical understanding. They are focusing on basic number skills, particularly place value and number bonds, for those pupils who need to get back on track.  In the wider curriculum, teachers have continued to follow their usual planning in some subjects. Teachers have reduced content in other subjects to provide time to focus on pupils’ physical and mental well-being.  You provide both paper-based packs and online tasks to support pupils who are working at home. Curriculum content is tailored to pupils’ needs in Years 1 and 2, while in Years 3 to 6 content mirrors that provided in school for other pupils. You plan to continue to use this approach to provide remote education if needed in the future.

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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 Solihull. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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