Setting

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

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Debbie Keigwin Headteacher South Park Primary School Water Lane Seven Kings Ilford Essex IG3 9HF

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Ofsted remote visit to South Park Primary School

Following my remote visit with Adam Vincent, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 17 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 South 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 South 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 South Park Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and your senior leadership team, including those responsible for safeguarding. 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:

 A small number of pupils have worked from home this term.  All pupils study the school’s usual range of subjects. Some aspects of music, such as singing, are being taught differently this year. Leaders expect that by the end of the summer term 2021 all pupils will experience the usual curriculum.  Leaders have checked pupils’ new starting points and identified the gaps that pupils have in their learning. Teachers have adjusted their planning to help pupils catch up. For example, in French, teaching plans have been amended to take account of what pupils remember and what they need to go over again from last year.  Leaders found that pupils are behind in their reading. As a result, reading is one of the school’s main priorities, including in the early years. More time is devoted to small-group reading sessions and teaching phonics to help pupils catch up.  Following the checks on pupils’ starting points in mathematics, teachers are

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

going over the gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This includes teaching fractions and percentages.  In the wider curriculum, teaching plans have been amended to help pupils make up for any learning that they have lost or forgotten. For example, in geography, the revised plans concentrate on the subject content that pupils missed in the spring and summer terms 2020.  Pupils who are accessing remote education follow a similar timetable to pupils in school. They complete online work that teachers set. Adjustments are made to the timing of lessons and activities to help pupils and parents manage the day. Leaders have provided some pupils with laptop computers or paper copies of the work to overcome difficulties with accessing work online.

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

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