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

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Wendy Fowler Headteacher Milton Park Primary School Eastney Road Southsea Portsmouth PO4 8ET

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Ofsted remote visit to Milton Park Primary School

Following my remote visit with Lucy English, 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 Milton Park 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 Milton Park 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 Milton Park Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and your 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:

 You opened the school to pupils from Years 1 to 6 on 3 September 2020. All pupils are expected to attend full time. Reception children started part time on 7 September 2020, building up to attending full time from 25 September 2020.  Pupils’ attendance so far this term is similar to the same time last year.  Pupils are studying their usual range of subjects, with some amendments to music. Leaders have decided to temporarily pause educational visits. You hope that learning missed during the period of COVID-19 restrictions will be blended with this year’s studies and covered by July 2021.  Teachers checked what pupils remembered in reading, writing and mathematics in the first few weeks of term. They are amending lessons to help pupils make up gaps in learning.  Teachers are helping all pupils, especially those in Years 5 and 6, with reading comprehension and understanding new words. Extra staff are working with

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

pupils who need more help with their reading. Pupils have more opportunities to write in different subjects to practise writing in a more formal manner and for longer periods.  In mathematics, teachers are providing more help for pupils with their problem-solving skills, especially pupils in Years 4 and 6.  You plan to ask teachers to review what learning was missed in other subjects during the period of national restrictions. Teachers will adjust the timetable so they can fit in additional learning from last summer term.  If pupils need to self-isolate, they can access that week’s learning online. Where needed, you provide paper packs. If pupil ‘bubbles’ have to work from home, you intend, as far as possible, for learning to match what would be covered in school.

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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 Portsmouth local authority. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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