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

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Jo Walker Headteacher Poulner Junior School North Poulner Road Ringwood Hampshire BH24 3LA

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Ofsted remote visit to Poulner Junior School

Following my remote visit with Alison Bradley, 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 Poulner Junior 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 Poulner Junior 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 Poulner Junior School

During the visit, we spoke to you, other leaders, and members of your pastoral team. 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:

 A few pupils have worked from home for up to two weeks since the start of the academic year.  Pupils are studying their normal range of subjects. The aim is that by July 2021, and earlier for Year 6 pupils, teachers will have covered the content in this year’s lessons, as well as English and mathematics learning missed during the period when schools were only open to some pupils due to COVID-19 restrictions. You intend that all missed content in other subjects will be taught by July 2022.  Teachers have used a mix of tests and checks in lessons to help identify gaps in pupils’ learning in reading and mathematics. Staff are teaching extra English and mathematics lessons before and after the school day to help pupils catch up.  Teachers have prioritised more time each day for pupils to read so as to practise skills lost during the period when schools were only open to some pupils due to COVID-19 restrictions. In particular, teachers are helping Year 3

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

pupils practise their early reading skills to help them read more fluently. Pupils across the school are being supported to understand what they are reading.  In mathematics, teachers have identified some areas where pupils need extra teaching to secure important knowledge. In particular, teachers are helping pupils to link written numbers to the values they represent. Pupils are also spending more time practising the arithmetic skills of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing.  In other subjects, at the start of each topic teachers are checking what pupils remember. Teachers are providing more time for pupils to practise skills they did not use during the summer term.  When individual pupils self-isolate, you provide remote education using a mix of paper-based and online resources. Learning is adapted to suit a pupil’s needs and reflects what would happen in class as far as possible. Extra

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

resources, like art materials, are delivered to pupils at home where possible.  If pupil ‘bubbles’ need to work at home, daily live English and mathematics lessons will be added to the current remote education provision. The school has bought additional laptops to make sure all families can access online learning.

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

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