Setting

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

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Deborah Steen Headteacher Salisbury Primary School Salisbury Street Wednesbury West Midlands WS10 8BQ

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Ofsted visit to Salisbury Primary School

Following my visit with Jonathan Leonard, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 3 December 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 visit to Salisbury 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.

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Ofsted visit to Salisbury 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 visit to Salisbury Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the senior leadership team, including the senior leader responsible for safeguarding and the learning mentor. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

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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 (coronavirus) 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:

 At the time of the visit, a Year 1 class ‘bubble’ was isolating. Since September, almost one third of pupils have had to isolate at home at some point.  Leaders told us that they have prioritised delivering a broad and balanced curriculum. They explained that the order of what is being taught in some subjects has been adjusted, but the content remains the same. Leaders said that they provide support for pupils’ well-being and mental health, which includes extra opportunities to learn outside. For example, earlier this term all class bubbles visited an alpaca farm.  Teachers have assessed pupils’ reading skills. You said that checks show that some pupils in Years 2 to 6 need extra support to understand what they have read. Small group and one-to-one sessions are in place for pupils who have fallen behind.  You told us that some pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 have fallen behind in their phonics knowledge. These pupils have extra opportunities to practise their

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

word-reading skills.  Teachers have checked what pupils have remembered in mathematics. You told us that you have asked teachers to provide daily opportunities for pupils to practise using basic number operations, to improve their fluency with calculations. Also, you identified that pupils in Year 1 needed extra help at the start of term to recognise and write numbers.  Remote education is delivered online. You provide paper packs for pupils who cannot access online resources. You have also been able to provide some electronic equipment when this has been needed.  Remote education is similar for bubbles and for individual pupils who are isolating. Pupils work through their usual timetabled lessons, including phonics for pupils in Reception and Years 1 and 2. Leaders told us that remote education is aligned with what pupils would study in school, with the exception of music, which is not currently delivered remotely.

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

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