Setting

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

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Charlotte Peppard Headteacher Hythe Primary School School Road Hythe Hampshire SO45 6BL

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Ofsted visit to Hythe Primary School

Following my visit with Catherine Old 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 Hythe 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 Hythe 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 Hythe Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the special educational needs coordinator. 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 on 7 September 2020. All pupils were expected to attend full time from this date, with Reception children attending part time for the first two weeks.  Attendance levels are similar to this time last year.  Pupils continue to study all national curriculum subjects, although some of the content has been changed or reorganised. Leaders have reordered the music curriculum so that pupils learn to play wind instruments later in the year. Pupils are currently learning the skills that underpin particular sports in physical education (PE) lessons, rather than participating in invasion games.  Staff have undertaken initial assessments of pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics skills and understanding. In other subjects, staff are assessing pupils’ knowledge before they teach new concepts.  Staff have found that most pupils are reading confidently. The few pupils that struggle to recall their phonics learning are being supported by staff to revisit

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

the sounds they have forgotten. Teachers are taking more time to explain key vocabulary in all subjects to broaden pupils’ vocabulary.  In mathematics, staff are recapping the basics of number and calculation and teaching some concepts that some pupils missed during the summer term. Teachers have identified a small group of pupils who need some extra support as they have forgotten some of the key ideas in mathematics. These pupils are receiving additional tuition from their teachers outside of their normal mathematics lessons.  The school provides remote education to pupils who are absent and can expand this to the whole school if needed. In core subjects, pupils at home learn identical content to those who are in school. In subjects that require particular resources, such as PE and science, pupils are provided with alternative tasks that revisit their prior learning.

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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 Hampshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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