Setting

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

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Stephen Jess Acting Headteacher Summercroft Primary School Plaw Hatch Close Bishops Stortford Hertfordshire CM235BJ

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Ofsted remote visit to Summercroft Primary School

Following my remote visit with Michelle Winter, 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 Summercroft 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 Summercroft 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 Summercroft Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to the senior leadership team and senior 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:

 As a school, you organise year groups into ‘bubbles’. At the time of the visit there were no bubbles isolating. In September, you had one bubble of 59 Reception children who had to self-isolate for two weeks. You currently have two or three pupils who need to self-isolate each week.  Pupils are studying the usual range of subjects. You have reorganised your curriculum by moving the ‘Shakespeare’ topic, that was not taught in the summer term, to later this academic year. Teachers are checking daily where gaps may have developed in pupils’ learning. You are using this ongoing assessment to prioritise what children need to be taught.  Reading has been given a higher priority in school. Teachers have identified that pupils’ stamina for reading has declined. You are now providing more time for children to read in school to re-establish reading habits.  For younger children, teachers have noticed more gaps in mathematical

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

knowledge, including understanding the value of each digit in a number, and recall of number bonds, for instance the numbers that add up to make 10. For older pupils, you have identified that mathematical confidence has dropped and there are some gaps in knowledge. You have adapted your calculation policy and increased your mathematics ‘sticky’ sessions to help pupils catch up.  Your aim is to keep the curriculum as similar to usual as possible. Nevertheless, you have identified that, within subjects such as geography and history, some content may not be covered. You are confident however, that your pupils will still access the full range of knowledge and skills through your topics.  In Reception, the curriculum has a greater focus on speaking and listening, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development. You have also identified gaps in children’s phonics; you are now providing

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

additional support and time in this area.  When individuals or bubbles have had to self-isolate, you have provided access to remote education. You have two learning platforms that all year groups have access to. The remote education packages you deliver provide either consolidation learning, pre-learning activities or content that is matched to what is currently being taught in school.

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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 school’s commissioner and the director of children’s services for Hertfordshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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