Setting

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

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Natalie Langtree Acting Headteacher London Meed Community Primary School Chanctonbury Road Burgess Hill West Sussex RH15 9YQ

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Ofsted remote visit to London Meed Community Primary School

Following my remote visit with Julie Sackett, 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 London Meed Community Primary School

This visit was conducted under section 8 of the Education 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 London Meed Community 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 London Meed Community Primary School

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

 Since September, a small number of pupils have had to self-isolate. During this time, they continued with their learning from home.  Pupils are studying all of the subjects they usually would. You have made some adaptations to practical aspects of the curriculum. Teachers are focusing on improving pupils’ fitness through daily exercise and physical education lessons, which now take place outside. Leaders intend that pupils will return to their full curriculum before summer term 2021.  Teachers have checked pupils’ knowledge in English. They have identified that pupils need help with their grammar and punctuation, and have less stamina to write at length. Teachers are supporting pupils to practise these aspects across a range of subjects.  Teachers have adjusted phonics teaching to help younger pupils revise trickier sounds. In Years 3 to 6, teachers are providing additional reading opportunities to develop pupils’ vocabulary and comprehension skills. You have

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

used part of the COVID-19 catch-up premium to purchase additional reading books for all year groups.  In mathematics, there is a whole-school focus on developing pupils’ understanding of number and place value to help them catch up on any missed learning. Teachers are particularly helping pupils to improve their ability to quickly recall mathematical facts, such as their times tables.  In other subjects, teachers are assessing pupils’ knowledge at the start of new learning. They use this information to adapt lessons to include knowledge that pupils have missed or forgotten.  You are currently providing remote education for pupils who are self-isolating. This covers the subjects other pupils are learning in school. Teachers provide printed materials for those who require them. You have plans in place to deliver the full curriculum, using remote education, should the school need to close fully or partially because of COVID-19.

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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 West Sussex. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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