Setting

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

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Beck Barber-Stubbs Principal Easton Royal Academy The Street Easton Royal Pewsey Wiltshire SN9 5LZ

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Ofsted visit to Easton Royal Academy

Following my visit with Dale Burr, Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI), to your school on 3 November 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 Easton Royal Academy

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 Easton Royal Academy

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 Easton Royal Academy

During the visit, we spoke to you and the member of staff who completes staff recruitment checks. 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 reopened to pupils in Years 1 to 6 on 3 September 2020. Children in Reception started full time on 14 September 2020.  Pupils’ attendance this term is below the school’s normal attendance for this time of year.  Staff are teaching all the subjects in your usual curriculum apart from modern foreign languages. You intend to reintroduce Spanish during the spring term 2021. All pupils are participating in forest school.  In September, staff assessed pupils’ understanding in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers are adapting their teaching plans between now and December 2020 to address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  Pupils in Year 1 are having extra phonics teaching to help them read and spell accurately. You told us that pupils in years 3 to 6 have maintained their ability to explain and discuss their understanding of what they read.  In mathematics, teachers have prioritised the essential knowledge that pupils

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

need to remember. In the short term, pupils are focusing on number, including their quick recall of number facts.  You have a remote learning plan in place. Pupils who are self-isolating access similar curriculum content to their classmates. You have plans in place to ensure that teachers check pupils’ understanding and give them feedback on their work. 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, chair of the board of trustees, and the chief executive officer of Excalibur Academies Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Wiltshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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