Setting

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

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Stephanie Blake Headteacher High Street Primary Academy High Street Plymouth Devon PL1 3SJ

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Ofsted visit to High Street Primary Academy

Following my visit with Susan Aykin, 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 High Street Primary 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 High Street Primary 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 High Street Primary Academy

During the visit, we spoke to you, the senior associate school leader, the special needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding officer and the office manager. 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 opened to all pupils on 7 September 2020. Most pupils on the school’s roll have returned to school and are attending full time.  Pupils’ attendance is slightly above the same time last year. During the first three weeks of the autumn term, there was an increase in seasonal coughs and colds. School leaders provided parents with information to help them distinguish the difference between symptoms of COVID-19 and other illnesses.  Pupils are studying all subjects in the school’s curriculum. However, leaders have changed the order of the curriculum in music and physical education.  Leaders carried out assessments to find out if pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders are providing extra support to pupils with larger gaps in their learning, to help them catch up.  Leaders are prioritising support for pupils with speech and language difficulties, including children in the early years.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 In mathematics, teachers are dedicating more time for pupils to learn number facts and place value.  Leaders are providing extra daily opportunities for pupils to read. In phonics, leaders have grouped younger pupils into ability groups to enhance pupils’ learning.  In subjects such as science, geography and history, leaders have rewritten curriculum plans so pupils have a chance to learn what they missed when the school was not open to all pupils.  In writing, leaders are prioritising pupils’ handwriting and teaching writing across a range of genres.  Children in the Reception year have joined the school below typical starting points, when compared with previous cohorts.  Leaders provided remote learning for some pupils during the autumn term. Pupils access this via the school’s website or by receiving work delivered to their home. Most remote learning is in line with the school’s curriculum.

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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 board of trustees, the chief executive officer of the Reach South multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Plymouth. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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