Setting

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

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The information contained within this draft letter should not be shared or published under any circumstances. Ofsted will consider the sharing of information in any manner a serious breach of confidentiality and will take appropriate action if necessary. 8 December 2020

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Nicola Kent Headteacher King’s Sutton Primary Academy Richmond Street King’s Sutton Banbury Oxfordshire OX17 3RT

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Ofsted remote visit to King’s Sutton Primary School

Following my remote visit with Jayne Ashman, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 26 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 King’s Sutton 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 King’s Sutton 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 King’s Sutton Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the senior leadership team and the leaders responsible for English and mathematics. 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 the school reopened fully in September, a small number of pupils have had to learn at home.  All pupils are studying most of their usual range of subjects. Teachers have changed the order of some subjects so that they are taught later in the year. Leaders plan to resume the usual curriculum by summer term 2021.  Teachers have completed checks to find pupils’ new starting points in English and mathematics. They will use ongoing checks in other subjects to understand what pupils have remembered.  Teachers are providing instruments and sports equipment for groups of pupils to reduce the impact on teaching of the school’s COVID-19 procedures. Pupils are having extra lessons in English and mathematics to help them catch up on learning they may have missed when the school was not fully open to pupils.  In Years 1 and 2, teachers are helping pupils to practise their phonics skills in reading. In Years 3 to 6, pupils are developing their skills in understanding

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OFFICIAL – SENSITIVE

 Teachers are helping pupils in Years 2 to 6 to develop their spelling, punctuation and concentration skills, so they can write for longer periods of time.  In mathematics, teachers are helping pupils to remember times tables and number facts. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 are being given more opportunities to develop their understanding of shape, area and measuring.  Teachers in the Reception Year are using checks to support children’s language development. Staff are providing children with more opportunities to practise their physical and social skills.  Leaders have plans in place to deliver a programme of remote education for pupils learning at home. This learning is based on the existing curriculum. If leaders need to send a ‘bubble’ home, staff will teach some lessons online.

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OFFICIAL – SENSITIVE

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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OFFICIAL – SENSITIVE

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, the chief executive officer of the Prime 7 multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Oxfordshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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