Setting

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

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Ben Parry Headteacher Lordship Farm Primary School Fouracres Letchworth Garden City Hertfordshire SG6 3UF

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Ofsted remote visit to Lordship Farm Primary School

Following my remote visit with Wendy Varney, 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 Lordship Farm 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 Lordship Farm 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 Lordship Farm 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:

 Since the start of the academic year, a very small number of pupils have had to work from home because they have been self-isolating.  Pupils are studying the full range of subjects from the curriculum. They have opportunities in the timetable to discuss their thinking and feelings about the COVID-19 pandemic. You told us that this helps to support pupils’ well-being.  Your key stage 1 teachers have checked pupils’ reading. Teachers consider that many pupils have remembered their phonics sounds. Additional support is provided for those pupils who need to catch up.  In mathematics, teachers are finding out where pupils have gaps in their understanding. Teachers are using additional time to teach the things pupils missed during the period when schools were only open to some children due to the COVID-19 restrictions in spring and summer 2020.  Teachers plan topics from the school’s curriculum plans. They ask questions to

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

find out what pupils remember. Teachers use this information to adapt their plans. Leaders are investigating different ways to teach geography and history where trips are not currently taking place.  Leaders have devised different plans for delivering the curriculum remotely should it be needed. The plans follow a typical school day and provide tasks from all the different subject areas.  All teachers have received training to develop their technical expertise and knowledge for delivering remote learning.

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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 regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Hertfordshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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