Setting

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

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Galiema Amien-Cloete Executive Headteacher Rotherhithe Primary School Rotherhithe New Road London SE16 2PL

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Ofsted remote visit to Rotherhithe Primary School

Following my remote visit with Daniel Constable, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 19 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 Rotherhithe 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 Rotherhithe 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 Rotherhithe Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the head of school and the English subject leader. 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 time of this visit, a ‘bubble’ of Years 5 and 6 pupils were self-isolating. Since the start of term, approximately one third of pupils have had to self- isolate and work from home.  Pupils are studying their usual range of subjects except for modern foreign languages. You plan to resume teaching Spanish in January 2021.  Staff checked pupils’ new starting points in reading, writing and mathematics shortly after all pupils returned to school. Staff identified the content in all other subjects which had not been covered in the last academic year. For pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, leaders completed risk assessments and adjusted targets and care plans.  Pupils’ ability to read with fluency has been affected. Some pupils have fallen behind in vocabulary development and in their phonic knowledge.  You found that some pupils across the school had fallen behind in arithmetic

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

and in their understanding of place value.  Leaders have prioritised teaching time to address the gaps in reading and mathematics. You are also providing a range of catch-up sessions for selected pupils within and beyond the normal school day.  In all other subjects you have adjusted your planning to make sure content that has been missed will be taught. You have also reorganised the order of what you teach in some subjects. For example, fieldwork in geography will take place later than usual.  You are providing remote education for all pupils who are self-isolating. The learning reflects the work set in class. Pupils are given learning packs which include a reading book, daily English and mathematics tasks, a project-based task and an activity dedicated to developing ‘mindfulness’. In addition, you provide online materials, such as phonics activities, to support your early readers.

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

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