Setting

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

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Michelle Downes Headteacher Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School Little Lane Great Gransden Sandy Bedfordshire SG19 3AE

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Ofsted remote visit to Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School

Following my remote visit with Katherine Douglas, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 10 November, 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 Barnabas Oley CofE 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 Barnabas Oley CofE 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 Barnabas Oley CofE Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you. 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 beginning of term, no class ‘bubbles’ have been sent home. Since the beginning of term, around one sixth of pupils have worked from home for between one and five days while waiting for COVID-19 test results.  Pupils are being taught all the subjects that they normally would be taught. Some content has been changed. In design and technology, pupils are not currently accessing cookery; and in music, pupils are not taking part in singing. Leaders aim for pupils to learn the planned content in all subjects by the summer term 2021.  Teachers have checked pupils’ new starting points in all subjects. They are using this information to find out what pupils have remembered and plan what pupils need to learn next.  Some pupils have taken a step back in their phonic knowledge. Pupils are not reading with as much understanding as they previously did. Staff are providing support to help pupils catch up.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 In mathematics, teachers have identified that some pupils need extra teaching to secure important knowledge. Additional help is being given to those pupils who need it.  You and your staff are providing pupils with new opportunities that will keep learning interesting in all subjects. Teachers are following the usual teaching plans for each year group where they can. Pupils still have history workshops and themed days in school.  You have planned remote learning for pupils through online or paper-based learning packs. Teachers are being trained to deliver live lessons online. This is the same work that pupils would receive 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 director of education for the Diocese of Ely, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Cambridgeshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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