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

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Helen Willis Headteacher Fairholme Primary School Peacock Avenue Bedfont Feltham TW14 8ET

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Ofsted visit to Fairholme Primary School

Following my visit with Noeman Anwar, Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI), to your school on 20 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 Fairholme 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 Fairholme 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 Fairholme Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the senior leadership team, including senior leaders responsible for 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 fully to all pupils on 3 September 2020. Leaders expect pupils to attend full time.  All pupils have returned to school. Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with normal attendance for this time of year.  Pupils resumed learning in all their usual subjects from the start of term. Some adjustments have been made to the teaching of physical education. For example, pupils continue to learn the knowledge and skills required for team sports but are not taking part in competitive matches.  In all subjects, leaders and teachers want to ensure that pupils make up for any losses in their learning. Alongside their regular subject lessons, selected pupils are receiving extra help with reading, writing and mathematics.  Following checks on pupils’ phonics knowledge, teachers identified that pupils needed to learn and practise some sounds again. The phonics programme has been modified and these sounds are taught and revisited frequently. In

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

English and other subjects, teaching seeks to encourage pupils to acquire and use a rich range of vocabulary.  In mathematics, teachers have found that pupils have retained their understanding of place value, but pupils’ knowledge of calculation strategies is not as secure as it was previously. Teaching prioritises helping pupils to catch up in this area of mathematics.  In science, art, and design and technology, more time is being dedicated to practical work. Leaders know that some pupils missed out on this over the last six months. The teaching of personal, social, health and economic education has also been extended, reflecting leaders’ commitment to supporting pupils’ well-being.  If pupils need to learn remotely, teachers set them work which aims to cover the school’s usual curriculum. Pupils access activities and resources made available on the school’s website. Teachers also provide some pupils with

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

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