Setting

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

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Michele Barrett Headteacher Vanessa Nursery School 14 Cathnor Road London W12 9JA

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Ofsted visit to Vanessa Nursery School

Following my visit with Philip Garnham, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 6 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 Vanessa Nursery 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 Vanessa Nursery 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 Vanessa Nursery School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the deputy headteacher. 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 for all children on 7 September 2020.  Attendance since the Nursery opened in September has been lower than usual. You told us that this was due to the difficulties in families accessing COVID-19 tests and the additional time taken to receive results.  A very small number of children have not returned to full-time education. Leaders are supporting families to encourage these children back into school full time.  All children attending the school are learning the same curriculum as they usually would.  Leaders’ main priority is for children to settle back into school, as well as welcoming children new to the school. This is because many children have had limited opportunities to be with other adults and children due to not attending Nursery or pre-school in the spring and summer terms.  Staff have identified that a key priority for the autumn term is to improve children’s vocabulary. To make up for gaps in children’s vocabulary and

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

understanding of different types of stories, staff are spending more time reading books to children.  In mathematics, teaching is recapping what children need to know about basic number, measurement and shape. All children, including those new to the school, use a range of equipment, including modelling clay.  Staff plan to deliver remote learning should it be needed. This includes pre- recorded videos of activities for children to do with adults 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 Hammersmith and Fulham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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