Setting

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

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Victoria Pooler Academy Head Hennock Community Primary School Bovey Tracey Newton Abbot Devon TQ13 9QB

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Ofsted remote visit to Hennock Community Primary School

Following my remote visit with Susan Aykin, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 24 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 Hennock Community 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 Hennock Community 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 Hennock Community Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, in your capacity as academy head, special needs coordinator and designated leader responsible for safeguarding. We also spoke with the chief executive officer of Link academy trust and your senior teacher. 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 September 2020, just under 10% of pupils have relied on remote education. Each pupil’s absence has been for a maximum of two days.  Pupils are learning most subjects in the school’s curriculum. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are not currently learning Spanish.  Teachers have assessed pupils’ knowledge in phonics (letters and the sounds they represent), reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers are giving pupils daily opportunities to practise their writing. They are also providing activities to support pupils’ accurate use of spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Staff are reteaching some of the phonics that pupils are struggling to remember from the previous academic year. Some pupils, who are further behind, are receiving extra support to catch up.  In reading, teachers are providing more opportunities for pupils to understand and answer questions about what they have read. They are also supporting

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

pupils to extend their vocabulary.  Teachers are prioritising pupils’ knowledge of number, including place value and methods of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing.  In subjects such as history and physical education, the curriculum is more or less the same as usual. However, leaders have changed the plans for when pupils will learn about periods of historical importance.  In the Reception class, staff are prioritising children’s social development. They are supporting children to take turns, share resources and develop friendships with their peers.  Teachers provide remote education online. Pupils receive daily work, which is in line with what their peers are learning in school wherever possible. In some instances, pupils can participate in live lessons.  Teachers assess pupils’ work and provide them with oral or written feedback.

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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 Link academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Devon. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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