Setting

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

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Kate Vincent Headteacher Banister Primary School Archers Road Southampton SO15 2LS

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Ofsted visit to Banister Primary School

Following my visit with Laurie Anderson, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 1 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 Banister 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 Banister 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 Banister Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and members of the senior leadership team. 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:

 The school opened fully to all pupils on 3 September 2020. All pupils, including children in the Reception Year, attend full time.  Pupils’ attendance is slightly below the school’s normal attendance for this time of year. A few pupils are absent from school because they have not been able to return from visits to their home countries or are isolating following their return to the United Kingdom. School leaders are keeping in touch with all parents, particularly those whose children are at risk of non-attendance.  All pupils are studying the school’s usual range of subjects, apart from French. Leaders plan to re-introduce French by the end of this term. Leaders have prioritised the teaching of spoken English and literacy, particularly for those pupils who speak English as an additional language.  Leaders have identified that pupils need more support and practice in understanding what they read. They have built in more opportunities for pupils

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

to discuss stories, books and texts within their usual topic-based curriculum.  Leaders’ assessments of pupils’ knowledge in mathematics have shown that some pupils need more revision of times tables, while others need to practise solving problems written in words.  Teachers are adjusting some of the content of the wider curriculum to make up for what was missed when pupils were not attending school.  The school’s plans for remote learning include online lessons and physical paper packs and resources, which are in line with their usual curriculum. Leaders have surveyed families in order to identify whether they need support with helping their children to learn at home. 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 Southampton. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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