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

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Lorraine Marcer Headteacher Bracebridge Heath St John’s Primary Academy Grantham Road Bracebridge Heath Lincoln Lincolnshire LN4 2LD

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Ofsted remote visit to St John’s Primary Academy

Following my remote visit with David Carter, 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 St John’s Primary Academy

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 John’s Primary Academy

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 John’s Primary Academy

During the visit, we spoke to you, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the key stage 1 leader and the pastoral leader. 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:

 Around 10% of pupils have had to work from home since the start of term.  Pupils are studying their usual range of subjects. Currently, some practical activities are not being taught. Teachers are finding other ways to teach this content.  Pupils will return to their usual curriculum when leaders feel it is safe and appropriate to do so.  Reading has been given a high priority across the school. Teachers have checked pupils’ phonic knowledge. Pupils have received extra help with their reading and comprehension skills.  Teachers have checked pupils’ mathematical knowledge. Pupils receive daily mental mathematics sessions and reminders of key mathematical vocabulary. Pupils are applying this knowledge in problem-solving lessons.  In the wider curriculum, teachers are checking any knowledge pupils may have forgotten or missed when the school was not fully open. Some curriculum content has had to be reordered. For example, in physical

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

education there has recently been an increased focus on fitness work.  Leaders have provided remote education for a small number of pupils. Teachers ensure that any home learning closely matches the pupils’ usual curriculum. Teachers are using a mixture of paper-based and online material. 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 Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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