Setting

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

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Monica Gladman Headteacher Sutton Manor Community Primary School Forest Road St Helens Merseyside WA9 4AT

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Ofsted remote visit to Sutton Manor Community Primary School

Following my remote visit with John Tomlinson, 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 Sutton Manor Community 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 Sutton Manor Community 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 Sutton Manor Community Primary School

During the visit, we spoke with you, the deputy headteacher and the leader 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:

 Since the start of term, approximately three quarters of the pupils in the school have worked from home for short periods of time. Currently, the Year 6 class ‘bubble’ are self-isolating.  Pupils are studying most subjects from the school’s usual curriculum. Spanish and some aspects of computing are not being taught to allow more time for pupils to catch up with lost learning in English and mathematics. You anticipate that pupils will be studying their usual curriculum by spring term 2021.  Teachers have identified that some pupils are not as confident with some practical aspects of mathematics as they were in March 2020. Teachers are providing more time for pupils to revisit topics such as geometry and measures. Teachers have also adapted their plans to include the mathematical content not taught in the summer term.  Teachers have identified the letters and sounds that some pupils have forgotten since March 2020. You have changed the way that phonics is taught.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

You explained that this is to allow more time to help pupils to catch up.  You told us that many older pupils seem to have ‘lost their love for reading’. You explained that you have plans in place to review the way that reading is taught, to help pupils to regain lost knowledge.  You explained that pupils who are self-isolating are provided with a range of online and paper-based resources. The daily timetable provides opportunities for pupils to practise and consolidate what they already know in mathematics and English. You told us that it has been more difficult to deliver learning in other subjects remotely.  Teachers provide feedback to pupils when they submit their work. You said that staff provide help and advice to any parents who are facing difficulty supporting their children with remote education.

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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 St Helens. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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