Setting

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

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Cilla James Headteacher Clearwell Church of England Primary School Church Road Clearwell Coleford Gloucestershire GL16 8LG Postcode

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Ofsted visit to Clearwell Church of England Primary School

Following my visit with Tonwen Empson, 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 Clearwell Church of England 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 Clearwell Church of England 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 Clearwell Church of England Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you. 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:

 Pupils in Years 1 to 6 returned to school on 2 September 2020. Reception-age children started on 7 September 2020. All pupils are expected to attend full time.  Pupils’ attendance is above that normally seen at this time of year.  Pupils are studying the full range of curriculum subjects. During September, you adapted the English curriculum to place greater emphasis on pupils’ emotional well-being. You anticipate that the school’s normal curriculum will be restored by the spring term 2021.  Teachers have assessed pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. You are using the COVID-19 catch-up premium to fund an additional teacher in key stage 2, to address pupils’ gaps in learning. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are now taught English and mathematics separately from pupils in Years 5 and 6.  In reading, teachers have listened to every pupil read aloud, to ascertain pupils’ new starting points. They noticed that younger pupils have forgotten

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

some of their previous learning in phonics. Older pupils have lost proficiency with their reading comprehension skills.  In mathematics, pupils have become less assured with mental calculation strategies, and their grasp of place value. Teachers are planning content that will enable pupils to revisit these aspects of their learning.  Teachers are maximising opportunities for pupils to read in other subjects. They are revisiting prior content where necessary. For example, pupils cannot remember the names of the countries that they have previously learned in geography.  You plan to deliver remote learning through a new online platform if required. Tasks will mirror the school’s current curriculum. You plan to stream live teaching in some subjects.

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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 Gloucester, 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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