Setting

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

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Sue Kerwin Headteacher St Andrew’s C of E Primary School Deyes Lane Maghull Liverpool Merseyside L31 6DE

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Ofsted remote visit to St Andrew’s C of E Primary School

Following my remote visit with Sheila Iwaskow, 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 St Andrew’s C of E 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 St Andrew’s C of E 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 St Andrew’s C of E Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and members of the senior leadership team, including those responsible for safeguarding. We also spoke to the school business manager and the attendance officer. 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 autumn term, approximately six out of every 10 pupils in the school have had to work from home for a period of time.  Teachers are identifying the learning that pupils have forgotten during the spring and summer terms. Teachers are adapting their plans for this academic year to ensure that all curriculum content is covered. With the exception of languages, you are delivering all national curriculum subjects. You have plans in place to begin language teaching again in the spring term.  This term, as well as prioritising English and mathematics, you have prioritised the teaching of physical education and personal, social, health and economic education. You told us that this was to support pupils’ return to school and to develop their fitness. You intend to return to the usual curriculum by the summer term 2021.  Teachers’ checks in mathematics have identified that younger pupils need to

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

revisit important earlier content. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 have forgotten some of their previous learning on shape and space. Teachers are providing additional mathematics sessions to consolidate pupils’ skills and revisit mathematical language.  You said that assessments in English have shown that some pupils in Years 1 and 2 have forgotten some of the sounds and letters that they had learned in the early years. Teachers’ checks have shown that older pupils have lost some of their reading stamina. Pupils in all year groups are having additional English lessons to help them make up for lost time.  Pupils who are self-isolating are provided with online activities or paper-based work. Pupils typically study mathematics, English and one other curriculum subject each day. Younger pupils receive additional work to support their phonics knowledge.  You told us that teachers check the work that pupils complete at home.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

Teachers provide resources and advice to support parents to help their children with remote education.

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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, and the chief executive officer of the Liverpool Diocesan Schools multi-academy trust, the director of education for the Diocese of Liverpool, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Sefton. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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