Setting

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

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Julie Poulson Headteacher Beech Green Primary School St James Quedgeley Gloucester Gloucestershire GL2 4WD

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Ofsted visit to Beech Green Primary School

Following my visit with Tonwen Empson, 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.

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Ofsted visit to Beech 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 Beech 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 Beech Green Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, your deputy headteacher and the inclusion coordinator. 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:

 Pupils in Years 1 to 6 returned to school on 2 September 2020 on a full-time basis. Reception-age children followed the school’s normal phased start, joining full time on 30 September.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly normal for this time of year.  Pupils are studying most subjects within the school’s usual curriculum. There are two exceptions, computing and music, which are not taught presently. Leaders plan to return pupils to their usual curriculum by summer term 2021.  You have noticed that some pupils have grown out of the habit of reading. Teachers are providing additional reading time. You have increased pupils’ access to the library.  In mathematics, teachers are focusing on pupils’ recall of times tables and their place-value knowledge. Sometimes when introducing new content, teachers find they need to step back and revisit concepts that pupils have forgotten.  Your staff are prioritising physical education, particularly outdoor activities.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

You told us that some pupils did not exercise as much as usual, prior to returning to school.  You are setting up a new system to deliver remote learning for all year groups. Staff are beginning to bank a series of pre-recorded sessions. Your aim is to ensure that pupils would experience the same curriculum content as if they were in school. 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 Gloucestershire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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