Setting

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

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Pippa Bremner Executive Headteacher De Havilland Primary School Travellers Lane Hatfield Hertfordshire AL10 8TQ

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Ofsted remote visit to De Havilland Primary School

Following my remote visit with David Milligan, 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 De Havilland 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 De Havilland 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 De Havilland Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the executive headteacher, assistant headteacher and information technology manager. 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:

 At the start of the school year, pupils in Years 1 to 6 returned to school for an induction day on either 3 or 4 September 2020. Pupils attended school full time from 7 September. Children joining Reception had a phased part-time start and began attending full time on 14 September.  Attendance is broadly in line with the usual rate of attendance for this time of year.  Teachers have carried out checks on what pupils in Years 1 to 6 remember in English and mathematics. Teachers have used this information to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding in these subjects. More time than normal is being spent on reading and writing and giving pupils the opportunity to practise their speaking and listening skills.  Recently, staff have received training in phonics. They are using this to help them check what sounds younger pupils remember and can spell and pronounce correctly. Additional support is being given to help pupils use their

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

phonics accurately in their reading.  Teachers are revisiting what pupils have learned previously in mathematics. This is to make sure pupils remember what they need to know before they learn anything new.  Pupils are being taught the subjects they would normally. Teachers have changed the order of some of what they teach and when. Pupils are not currently swimming or cooking. This is planned to be taught later in the year.  In some subjects, teachers are considering different ways of teaching the same content as they usually would. In music, pupils are learning to use sign language to communicate the words of songs they know because they are not singing together in larger groups.  Leaders have a plan in place to deliver remote learning to pupils, should this be necessary in the future. Staff have received training to support this.

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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 interim action board, the chair of the board of trustees, the chief executive officer of the Danes Educational Trust, 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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