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

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Motiur Rahman Headteacher Sprites Primary Academy Stonechat Road Ipswich Suffolk IP2 0SA

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Ofsted visit to Sprites Primary Academy

Following my visit with Fyfe Johnston, 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 Sprites Primary Academy

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 Sprites Primary Academy

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 Sprites Primary Academy

During the visit, we spoke to you and the associate school lead. 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 reopened fully on 3 September 2020.  Attendance is better than is usual for this time of year.  At the start of term, classes spent two weeks focusing on pupils’ learning skills, teaching new routines and establishing expectations.  After the first few weeks, teachers used a range of assessments to check where pupils were in English and mathematics. There is an emphasis this term on teaching any weaker skills in these subjects.  In English, staff are prioritising basic writing skills, such as handwriting, punctuation and spelling. All pupils who need additional support in early reading have phonics teaching from staff specifically trained in methods for teaching this.  In mathematics, additional time has been made for basic arithmetic, and for revisiting some of the topics that were covered during partial closure, for example shape and space.  In all subjects, leaders expect the curriculum to be delivered as close as

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

possible to normal. They have undertaken training with teachers to increase understanding of the skills and knowledge that pupils should have learned in previous years. Teachers are asked to check pupils’ previous knowledge when they start new topics.  During the partial closure of schools, a new online system was introduced to support pupils’ work at home, and to enable teachers to communicate with pupils and parents. This will be used again in the event of any closure. Some activities are still held online and shared with all pupils and parents, such as assemblies.

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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 and the chief executive officer of the Reach2 multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Suffolk. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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