Setting

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

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Stephanie Beckett Headteacher Bosley St Mary’s Church of England Primary School Leek Road Macclesfield Cheshire SK11 0NX

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Ofsted visit to Bosley St Mary’s Church of England Primary School

Following my visit with Julie Barlow, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 20 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 Bosley St Mary’s 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 Bosley St Mary’s 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 Bosley St Mary’s Church of England Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the senior leader. 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 re-opened for all year groups on 2 September 2020. All pupils are expected to attend full time.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with their usual attendance for this time of the year.  Pupils are studying most of their usual curriculum. You have re-organised when music will be taught. This is to allow more time for additional science teaching to cover key content not taught during the summer term due to the COVID-19 restrictions. You explained that pupils will be covering all aspects of the school’s usual curriculum by spring 2021.  In phonics, children and pupils from Reception Year to Year 2 are where teachers would expect them to be at this time of year. In reading, teachers have not noticed any differences in pupils’ knowledge from what they would typically expect in the autumn term.  Teachers have identified that pupils in Years 3 to 6 are struggling with certain aspects of writing. You explained that teachers are providing time to

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

consolidate pupils’ grammar and punctuation knowledge and to improve the accuracy of their spelling.  In mathematics, teachers have identified that pupils are less confident than they were previously with some elements of the curriculum. Teachers have planned opportunities for pupils to practise place value, number bonds and multiplication to resolve this gap.  For subjects other than English and mathematics, teachers have identified the specific subject content that was not taught during the spring and summer terms. Teachers have adapted their plans so that any missed subject content is covered in future topics.  Teachers have systems in place to deliver the curriculum remotely if it becomes necessary as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. Teachers, pupils, parents and carers have received training on how to use the systems safely. You have developed a range of remote learning resources that are aligned

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

with the school’s usual curriculum plans.

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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 Chester, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Cheshire East. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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