Setting

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

p.1

Marie Berry Headteacher Bournville Primary School Selworthy Road Weston-Super-Mare Somerset BS23 3ST

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Bournville Primary School

Following my remote visit with Kathy Maddocks, 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.

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Bournville 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.

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Bournville 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.

p.1

Ofsted remote visit to Bournville Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the senior leader responsible for safeguarding, the special educational needs coordinator and the pastoral lead. We did not speak to pupils.

p.1

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.

p.1

Context

In undertaking this focused work, HMI are visiting a broad range of schools. HMI will visit a sample of:

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 There were three ‘bubbles’ self-isolating at the time of the visit. These were in Nursery, Year 2 and Year 4. Approximately three out of every five pupils have had to work from home since the start of term. One Year 2 class has had to self-isolate twice.  Pupils are not studying the usual range of subjects. You have focused on English, mathematics and physical education. You intend to return to your usual curriculum by December 2020.  Leaders have checked pupils’ new starting points in English and mathematics. You have identified reading and writing as key priorities.  Teachers in Years 2 and 3 have received recent retraining in phonics. You have extended the time given to the teaching of reading. You state that pupils’ stamina in writing, in all year groups, is weaker than before.  In mathematics, there is a focus on place value and number work across the school. In Year 3, pupils are revisiting addition of two-digit numbers.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Personal, social, health and economic education has a high profile. You say it feeds through everything you do in school and is essential to support pupils’ well-being.  You have maintained the usual curriculum in Nursery and Reception.  Remote learning is a multimedia-based approach. You say that it is aligned to the school’s current curriculum. Pupils view lessons recorded by their own teachers and teachers on professional websites. You provide learning work packs when necessary.

p.2

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.

p.3

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, the chief executive officer of the Extended Learning Academies Network, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for North Somerset. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3