Setting

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

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Jenny Tegerdine Acting Headteacher Aldermans Green Primary School Aldermans Green Road Coventry West Midlands CV2 1PP

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Ofsted remote visit to Aldermans Green Primary School

Following my remote visit with Bianka Zemke, 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 Aldermans Green 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 Aldermans Green 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 Aldermans Green Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the acting executive headteacher and members of the senior leadership team. 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. 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:

 Approximately one in six pupils have had to self-isolate and work at home for periods of time since September 2020 due to COVID-19.  All pupils are studying their usual range of subjects, including Spanish in years 3 to 6. You explained that you have changed the curriculum content around in some subjects. For example, in physical education pupils are currently learning how to dribble, kick and pass a ball outside rather than doing gymnastics and dance indoors.  At the start of term, teachers checked what pupils could do and remember in reading, writing and mathematics. You said that they use this information to identify pupils who need extra help to catch up. Teaching assistants support these pupils in the classroom, so they access the full curriculum, as well as take them out for intervention support.  Teachers say that some pupils are finding it difficult to remember all their letter sounds and blend them when reading. You described how you have

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

prioritised reading and put in place extra phonics and reading sessions. More staff are being trained in how to support pupils with their phonics.  You told us that younger pupils are struggling to form their letters properly, while older pupils have lost the stamina to complete extended pieces of writing. Across the curriculum, teachers are planning more writing opportunities.  In mathematics, teachers noted that some pupils find it hard to remember how to use the basic skills that they have been taught. Each mathematics lesson starts with a recap of work previously taught, such as subtraction and multiplication.  You described how pupils can immediately access home learning on the school website, should they have to self-isolate due to COVID-19. If a ‘bubble’ is working at home, teachers provide videos to support the tasks that have been set.

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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 Coventry. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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