Setting

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

p.1

Miss Vanessa Wardle Principal Pegasus Primary School Turnhouse Road Castle Vale Birmingham West Midlands B35 6PR

p.1

Ofsted visit to Pegasus Primary School

Following my visit with Nicola Harwood, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 22 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 Pegasus 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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Pegasus 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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Pegasus Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, your assistant principals and the school’s pastoral lead. 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 pupils in Years 2 and 6 on 3 September 2020. Following a staggered start, all pupils, including children in Reception, were expected to attend full time by 14 September 2020. This arrangement is different to previous years.  Attendance is similar to the same time last year.  You told us that pupils are studying their usual range of subjects. Staff have made minor changes to the order of the curriculum and the time given to some subjects. You expect pupils to return to their usual curriculum before the summer term 2021.  Teachers have checked pupils’ reading and phonics knowledge. They have identified that pupils’ reading comprehension and vocabulary development require extra attention. Staff are providing support for pupils’ reading as needed.  Staff have completed checks on pupils’ mathematical knowledge. You told us that place value and mental arithmetic are areas where pupils have fallen

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

behind. Teachers are focusing on these aspects of mathematics and giving pupils additional daily practice.  Plans are in place to deliver the usual curriculum remotely if needed. These plans include making learning accessible through the school’s learning platform. Thank you again for contributing to this important national work. The views and experiences you have shared will help to inform future policy.

p.2

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 Summit Learning Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Birmingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3