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

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Kelly O’Connor Headteacher Alfred Street Junior School Alfred Street Rushden Northamptonshire NN10 9YS

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Ofsted remote visit to Alfred Street Junior School

Following my remote visit with Damien Turrell, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 17 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 Alfred Street Junior 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 Alfred Street Junior 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 Alfred Street Junior School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher, inclusion manager and family support worker. 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 beginning of the school year, only a small number of pupils have needed to study from home.  Teachers are following the school’s usual curriculum. Although pupils have not been taught geography yet this academic year, it will be covered in the spring term.  Teachers have checked what pupils can remember in English and mathematics. Pupils have gaps in their knowledge in both subjects.  In English, some Year 3 pupils have lapsed in their ability to identify and use different sounds to help them read and write accurately. Some pupils have forgotten how to structure sentences, including remembering when to use capital letters and full stops. Teachers are spending extra time helping pupils recall their knowledge of phonics and grammar.  In mathematics, pupils’ knowledge of place value and number facts has regressed. Some pupils have lost the stamina to solve challenging mathematical problems. Pupils are being given more opportunities to review

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

their mathematical knowledge.  If individual pupils need to learn from home, they receive work each day for English, mathematics and one other subject. The learning tasks they receive are the same as those they would have done if they were present in school. If a whole-class ‘bubble’ needs to be sent home to isolate, leaders have planned for pupils to take part in some virtual lessons.

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

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