Setting

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

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Emma Ravenscroft Headteacher Sidemoor First School and Nursery Perryfields Road Bromsgrove Worcestershire B61 8QN

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Ofsted remote visit to Sidemoor First School and Nursery

Following my remote visit with Mark Sims, 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 Sidemoor First 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 Sidemoor First 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 Sidemoor First School and Nursery

During the visit, we spoke to you and the 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)

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Context

 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:

 The school opened for the autumn term on 4 September 2020. From this date, pupils in key stages 1 and 2 were expected to attend full time. Children in the early years classes had a staggered start to school, with all children’s attendance following its usual pattern from 21 September 2020.  Attendance during the autumn term so far is in line with what leaders normally expect for this time of year.  This term, staff are giving more time to reading and personal, social and health education. They have made changes to the way physical education and design and technology are taught, so that pupils do not have to share equipment. You have decided to restart lessons in music and modern foreign languages later in the year. You aim to return to your usual curriculum by summer term 2021.  Extra-curricular activities and school trips have been paused.  Staff have assessed pupils’ reading and knowledge of phonics. Their checks

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

found that some pupils have kept up, but some have slipped back. In response, you have organised extra phonics sessions, bought more reading books and prioritised reading in class.  In mathematics, staff are focusing on teaching number. They have moved other topics, such as shape and space, to later in the year. You told us that staff plan to carry out assessments of pupils’ mathematical knowledge soon.  You have plans to offer remote learning, if it is needed. You intend to do much of this online, but have paper-based resources too. At this point in the term, you are further ahead with your plans to teach phonics, reading and mathematics remotely than other subjects. You aim to provide activities that suit pupils’ ages and fit in with curriculum plans where possible.

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

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