Setting

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

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Jim O’Shea Headteacher Rushmore Primary School Elderfield Road Hackney London E5 0LE

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Ofsted remote visit to Rushmore Primary School

Following my remote visit with Philip Garnham, 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 Rushmore 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 Rushmore 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 Rushmore Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the deputy 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 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 individual pupils have had to work from home.  Pupils are studying the usual range of subjects. However, leaders have made changes to the time allocated to different subjects this term. Leaders have allocated more time to personal, social, health and economic education. Leaders plan to return to the school’s usual time allocations by the summer term 2021.  In September, teachers assessed pupils’ new starting points. Reading, including phonics, is a priority across the school. Teachers are using the school’s reading programme to identify and address gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge. Teachers are meeting with individual pupils to cover any gaps in pupils’ writing skills.  Leaders have identified gaps in pupils’ mathematical knowledge, particularly in their understanding of number facts. This term, teachers are using lessons to cover content that pupils missed in the spring and summer terms. Teachers

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

are placing greater emphasis on pupils’ knowledge of number this term.  In other subjects, leaders have adapted curriculum plans so that these include the knowledge pupils missed during the spring and summer terms. Leaders are working with teachers to identify which aspects of each subject pupils need to know or consolidate before they move on to new learning.  So far this term, remote education has been used for individual pupils who have had to self-isolate and learn from home. In English and mathematics, pupils watch or listen to live lessons. In other subjects, teachers provide materials for pupils to use at home. These match the content of what is being taught in school. In the early years, children join daily live phonics and mathematics sessions online.  Leaders are focusing on how to make effective use of support staff within online lessons, particularly if a whole year group or class ‘bubble’ has to work

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

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