Setting

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

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Jim Mepham Headteacher Shield Road Primary School Shields Avenue Northville Bristol BS7 0RR

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Ofsted remote visit to Shield Road Primary School

Following my remote visit with Sue Costello, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 10 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 remote visit to Shield 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. Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, we made this visit remotely to reduce pressure on the school.

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Ofsted remote visit to Shield 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 remote visit to Shield Road Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, and members of the leadership team. You are the leader responsible for safeguarding. We did not speak to pupils.

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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 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:

 Since the start of term, a small number of pupils have worked from home as they were self-isolating.  Pupils began studying their usual curriculum from 4 September 2020. Pupils are now studying the same subjects as before March 2020. There have been some adaptations to the music curriculum.  Teachers placed a greater emphasis on personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education at the start of term to support pupils’ return to school. You continue to maintain a significant focus on PSHE and pupils’ well-being.  At the start of term, teachers checked what pupils know and have remembered in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers have not checked what pupils know and have remembered in all subjects yet. You have plans to complete these checks by the end of term.  In mathematics, you found that in key stage 2, some pupils’ understanding of calculation is not as strong you would like it to be. You have adjusted the

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

curriculum to support pupils to get back on track.  In key stage 1, you found that some pupils have not remembered all that they need to read effectively. You have introduced additional phonics and reading sessions to help pupils catch up.  Children in Reception are following the early years curriculum. You told us that some children need additional help with their communication and language skills.  You have introduced systems to deliver the curriculum remotely. If individual pupils are self-isolating, work is set specifically for their needs. The vast majority of this work is set online.  You told us that, if ‘bubbles’ need to isolate, you have plans in place to provide a mixture of face-to-face online teaching, supplemented with independent activities. You are confident that this approach will enable all pupils to follow the school’s normal 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 governing body school, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for South Gloucestershire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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