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

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Mary Langley Headteacher Wixams Tree Primary School Green Lane Wixams Bedfordshire MK42 6BA

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Ofsted remote visit to Wixams Tree Primary School

Following my remote visit with Fiona Webb, 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 Wixams Tree 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 Wixams Tree 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 Wixams Tree Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the deputy headteacher. 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:

 There were no year-group ‘bubbles’ isolating at the time of the visit. Since the start of term, a small proportion of pupils have had to work from home. This is because they have been self-isolating.  Pupils are studying their usual range of subjects. Swimming has been paused temporarily. Pupils are carrying out practical science tasks and are cooking in smaller groups than usual. You have postponed some of the school trips, and visitors to school, that you had planned for this term.  Teachers carried out checks in English and mathematics to see what pupils have remembered. Leaders have identified reading as a priority to focus on across the school. Younger pupils are having an extra phonics session each day to help them with their reading and spelling.  In mathematics, teachers are checking that pupils’ knowledge is secure before they move on to new learning. Staff are providing support for more pupils than

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

they usually would at this time.  In music, teachers are focusing lessons on listening and pupils are not singing in large groups. Teachers are spending more time on pupils’ personal, social and health education.  Leaders have planned for remote education that includes online resources and paper-based learning packs. Teachers communicate with pupils who are learning at home. The online learning has the same content as the usual school curriculum.

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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 local advisory board, the chair of the board of trustees, and the chief executive officer of the Bedford College multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Bedfordshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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