Setting

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

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John Jones Headteacher Old Sarum Primary School Pheasant Drive Old Sarum Salisbury Wiltshire Sp4 6GH

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Ofsted remote visit to Old Sarum Primary School

Following my remote visit with Dale Burr, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 12 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 Old Sarum 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 Old Sarum 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 Old Sarum Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, your deputy headteacher and the school business manager. We did not speak with 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 September 2020, a small number of pupils have had to self-isolate and learn remotely from home.  Staff are teaching their usual range of subjects. You are making some temporary adjustments to the curriculum. Staff are giving extra priority to reading, writing and mathematics this term. You have plans to increase the time for science teaching, so that pupils can secure any missed subject knowledge by summer 2021.  Staff have checked what pupils know in every subject. They are adapting their teaching plans to tackle any gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  In early years, staff are prioritising children’s early language and communication, and physical development.  In mathematics, staff are concentrating on number, including the quick recall of number facts, and increasing pupils’ mathematical vocabulary.  Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are having extra phonics lessons. All pupils are having more reading practice this term. You told us that teachers and pupils are

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

talking in depth about the books they are reading.  You are refining the school’s systems and processes for remote learning. You have gathered the views of parents and trained staff. You are putting plans in place to ensure that, when pupils are learning remotely, teachers can check pupils’ understanding and give them feedback on their work.

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

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