Setting

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

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Sam Petchey Head of School Antingham and Southrepps Primary School Lower Street Southrepps Norfolk NR11 8UG

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Ofsted remote visit to Antingham and Southrepps Primary School

Following my remote visit with Heather Yaxley, 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 Antingham and Southrepps 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 Antingham and Southrepps 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 Antingham and Southrepps Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the executive 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:

 The school opened fully to pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 on 7 September 2020. Children from Reception Year started the following day and those in the Nursery attended from 14 September 2020.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with what leaders would normally expect for this time of year.  Pupils are studying all of the subjects they typically would, but the work pupils complete in topic work has been reviewed and some content has been embedded into other subject areas. Staff have made adaptations elsewhere. There is no swimming or contact sport in physical education, and staff have changed the way they carry out practical experiments in science.  Staff use a range of assessments to establish any gaps in pupils’ knowledge or understanding. Staff are currently following a ‘recovery curriculum’, which is adapted every six weeks according to pupils’ particular needs and priorities.  Staff found that readers, particularly those who were less fluent readers, are

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

now further behind. Leaders have introduced a new phonics scheme and made more time available for staff to teach early reading. Additional staff are being deployed differently to support pupils who need extra help.  In mathematics, staff are now focusing on missed content alongside number facts and times tables, so pupils can complete basic calculations more efficiently. Leaders have set up an extra group in mathematics to give pupils more individual support.  On pupils’ return to school, staff initially focused on how pupils were feeling and their different experiences since March 2020. Assemblies continue to focus on mindfulness, as well as key skills such as resilience and perseverance. Leaders have introduced new curriculum plans for outdoor learning with specific units linked to pupils’ well-being.  Remote education will be provided from day one to any pupil who is unable to attend school for reasons related to COVID-19. Leaders have plans in place to

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

provide this ‘virtually’ to all pupils should this become necessary. While leaders acknowledge that pupils’ experiences will be different, the work set will aim to mirror what pupils would complete in class.

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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 North Norfolk multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Norfolk. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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