Setting

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

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Sonya Ely Executive Headteacher Weston Hills CofE Primary School Learning Lane Weston Hills Spalding Lincolnshire PE12 6DL

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Ofsted remote visit to Weston Hills CofE Primary School

Following my remote visit with Peter Stonier, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 17 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 Weston Hills CofE 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 Weston Hills CofE 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 Weston Hills CofE Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you. 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:

 No pupils have had to work from home since the start of the autumn term.  Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 are studying their usual curriculum. Some adaptations have been made to the way content is taught in music.  Since September, teachers have prioritised the teaching of English and mathematics for pupils in Years 3 to 6. Leaders plan to return pupils to their usual curriculum by January 2021.  Teachers have checked pupils’ skills in reading. Some pupils need additional help in using phonics when they are reading. Children in the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes are having extra lessons in phonics to fill any gaps they may have in their knowledge of sounds and improve their communication skills.  Checks on pupils’ knowledge and skills in mathematics have revealed that some pupils have forgotten how to use calculation strategies to solve problems. Teachers are providing additional lessons to help pupils to catch up.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Teachers recognise that some pupils are not as resilient as they were previously with their writing. Teachers are providing additional handwriting and spelling lessons. They are also asking pupils to write more extended pieces of work to improve their stamina in their writing.  Leaders have a programme of remote learning in place. Teachers will provide online and paper-based learning for pupils to complete at home should the need arise. This learning is focused on continuing pupils’ learning in English and mathematics.

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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 director of education for the diocese of Lincoln, 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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