Setting

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

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Mark Rivers Headteacher East Farleigh Primary School Vicarage Lane East Farleigh Maidstone ME15 0LY

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Ofsted remote visit to East Farleigh Primary School

Following my remote visit with Hanna Miller, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 5 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 East Farleigh 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 lockdown restrictions, we made this visit remotely to reduce pressure on the school.

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Ofsted remote visit to East Farleigh 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 East Farleigh Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and two assistant headteachers. 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 (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 fully for pupils on 2 September 2020. Reception children had a phased start and attended full time from 7 September 2020. A small number of pupils attend part time.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with the school’s normal attendance figures for this time of year.  Pupils are studying all subjects in the school’s usual curriculum apart from computing, which has been temporarily paused.  Teachers are in the process of assessing pupils in English and mathematics. Assessments have identified that pupils need support with handwriting and general presentation skills. Teachers are providing opportunities for pupils to practise these across a range of subjects.  Teachers have carried out checks on pupils’ phonic knowledge and reading comprehension skills. They have adapted the teaching of phonics and are providing extra support for pupils who have fallen behind.  In mathematics, teachers have identified that pupils need to revise concepts

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

such as place value and calculation before moving to new learning.  Teachers plan to review pupils’ knowledge across subjects in the wider curriculum over the course of the year.  Pupils who are unable to attend school are provided with work that matches the learning taking place in lessons. Teachers set work that pupils can access electronically or on paper. Leaders have plans to add virtual teaching to the range of resources already being offered, should this be required.

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

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