Setting

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

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Kirsty Sutton Headteacher Lancaster Road Primary School Lancaster Road Morecambe Lancashire LA4 5TH

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Ofsted visit to Lancaster Road Primary School

Following my visit with David Selby, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 8 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 Lancaster Road 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 Lancaster Road 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 Lancaster Road Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the senior leadership team, including the senior leader 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)

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Context

 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 to all pupils on 1 September 2020. Pupils in all year groups, including children in Reception Year, are expected to attend full time.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Attendance is broadly in line with the school’s usual attendance for this time of year. At the time of the visit, pupils in year-group ‘bubbles’ across Years 4, 5 and 6 were studying from home.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Pupils are studying all subjects in the curriculum. You have prioritised the teaching of English, mathematics, science and personal, social, health and economic education. You believe that these subjects need extra attention to help pupils to settle back into school and to make up for lost learning time. You aim to resume your usual curriculum by summer 2021.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Staff have carried out checks to find out where pupils are up to with their reading. You have arranged support for children from Reception Year to Year 3 to get back on track with their learning of phonics. You have purchased new resources for pupils across the school to help them catch up with their reading.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Teachers have also checked pupils’ new starting points in mathematics. You explained that staff are using this information to help pupils catch up. For example, you described how teachers are reminding pupils in Years 3 to 6 of the mathematical vocabulary that they have forgotten.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 You are beginning to increase teaching time in other curriculum subjects. In subjects such as history, you have identified the important learning that some pupils may have missed. Teachers are adapting their plans so that this learning can be covered in future topics.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 You are confident that the school is well placed to make further use of online learning with pupils in Years 3 to 6. You are looking at ways to improve remote learning for younger pupils. You believe that teachers have developed their expertise in teaching the curriculum using online learning.

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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 director of education for the diocese of Lancashire, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Lancashire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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