Setting

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

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Jane Murphy Principal St Augustine’s Church of England Primary School 380 Bolton Road Pendlebury Swinton Manchester M27 8UX

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Ofsted remote visit to St Augustine’s Church of England Primary School

Following my remote visit with John Nixon, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 11 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 St Augustine’s Church of England 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 St Augustine’s Church of England 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 St Augustine’s Church of England Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the vice principal and the learning mentor. 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 one quarter of the pupils at the school have spent some time working from home.  Pupils are studying all subjects from the school’s usual curriculum.  In reading, teachers have checked pupils’ phonics knowledge. You have noticed that some pupils have not remembered some of the phonics content that they had been taught before March 2020. You are providing additional support for these pupils so that they can catch up.  In mathematics, teachers’ checks have found that some pupils are not as confident with arithmetic as they were in March 2020 . Teachers are providing more time for pupils to practise this aspect of mathematics.  Teachers are also checking pupils’ understanding in subjects other than English and mathematics. They have identified that pupils have forgotten some important vocabulary, for example in science and music. Teachers are supporting pupils to regain confidence in using and understanding key

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

vocabulary.  You have developed your provision to deliver education remotely if pupils need to isolate at home. You told us that some practical work that would be usually included in the curriculum, such as some aspects of science, could not be completed at home and would have to wait until pupils returned to school. The daily timetable provides opportunities for pupils to learn remotely in mathematics, English and other subjects.  You explained how you have provided access to resources to help individual pupils working from home. They can engage in activities that are similar to those completed in school and are aligned with the usual curriculum.

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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 board of trustees, and the chief executive officer of the Vantage multi-academy trust, the director of education for the diocese of Manchester, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Salford. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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