Setting

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

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Kim Wakefield Headteacher Abbey Primary School Stuart Avenue Forest Town Mansfield Nottinghamshire NG19 0AB

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Ofsted remote visit to Abbey Primary School

Following my remote visit with Di Mullan, 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 Abbey 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 Abbey 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 Abbey Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the deputy headteacher. 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:

 At the time of the visit, some Nursery children were isolating. Those that were not were learning at home, as all staff who normally work with that year group were isolating. Overall, a third of pupils have had to work from home since the start of term.  Pupils are studying the full range of subjects in all year groups. Leaders plan for pupils to be studying the usual curriculum before summer 2021.  Teachers have assessed pupils’ new starting points, including in phonics, reading, writing and mathematics. Subject leaders are using this information to ensure that teachers cover any missed content.  Children in Reception and pupils in Years 1 and 2 whose phonics knowledge is not as strong as it was previously are receiving support to help them catch up. Across all years, teachers are helping pupils to improve their comprehension skills. In writing, the focus is on pupils’ correct use of punctuation and

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

grammar.  In mathematics, teachers are prioritising arithmetic and the revision of multiplication tables.  In the wider curriculum, teachers are adapting what they are teaching to cover any knowledge pupils may have forgotten or missed when the school was not fully open. Leaders have prioritised the teaching of the personal, social, health and economic curriculum, to allow pupils to discuss how they are feeling and any worries they may have.  Leaders have made the curriculum available remotely, including online. Pupils who are isolating as part of a whole class receive daily tasks to complete, while those isolating as individuals receive tasks weekly. Leaders have developed the necessary resources for any pupils who cannot access online 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 Nottinghamshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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