Setting

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

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Charlotte Angeli Headteacher Holdbrook Primary School and Nursery Longcroft Drive Waltham Cross Hertfordshire EN8 7QG

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Ofsted remote visit to Holdbrook Primary School and Nursery

Following my remote visit with Wendy Varney, 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 Holdbrook Primary School and Nursery

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 Holdbrook Primary School and Nursery

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 Holdbrook Primary School and Nursery

During the visit, we spoke to you and the special educational needs co-ordinator. Both of you also have responsibility 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:

 Since the start of term, hardly any pupils have needed to work from home. All the class ‘bubbles’ have operated as you had planned. You have been pleased with pupils’ keenness to return to school routines and commented that they are happy to be back learning. You have continued to provide breakfast and after-school clubs to support families who require this provision.  Pupils are studying the full range of subjects. You have changed the order that the content is taught in music and physical education. Pupils have participated in a themed science week to cover subject content they missed in the summer term. Subject leaders have provided plans to show what pupils are expected to know across subjects by summer 2021.  Teachers have checked pupils’ current starting points in reading, writing, mathematics and social, emotional and mental well-being. You have prioritised these subjects in the timetable for all pupils. Teachers are using the

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

information to plan learning and provide extra help for pupils who need to catch up.  Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are having more phonics learning to secure their understanding of sounds. Some pupils have returned needing more opportunities to develop their writing stamina and accuracy in handwriting, grammar and spelling. Teachers have prioritised these aspects.  In mathematics, pupils are having more opportunity to recall and practise their mathematical knowledge and understanding. You are pleased that pupils are remembering what they learned before March 2020.  Teachers use a mix of paper-based activities and published online resources to provide remote learning for individual pupils or groups of pupils if required. You plan to link activities more closely to pupils’ learning in school. A very large majority of families speak English as an additional language. You use many ways to communicate and support parents, so they can understand

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

what their children are expected to learn at home.

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

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