Setting

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

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Dawn Gudde Headteacher Bressingham Primary School School Road Bressingham Diss Norfolk IP22 2AR

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Ofsted visit to Bressingham Primary School

Following my visit with Fyfe Johnston, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 8 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 Bressingham 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 Bressingham 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 Bressingham Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and one of your senior leaders. 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.

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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:

 Almost all pupils have returned to school. Attendance is higher than it was at this time last year. The school operates in ‘bubbles’ of six classes. No bubbles of pupils have been sent home. Only a very small proportion of individual pupils have had to learn at home.  Pupils are studying the usual range of subjects. Changes have been made in some subjects. Physical education lessons are taught outside as the school hall is currently used as a classroom. In music, singing and the playing of some instruments have been paused. Off-site educational visits, including swimming lessons, have not taken place this term. Leaders expect that all pupils will follow the full curriculum by the summer term 2021.  In October 2020, teachers carried out assessments of pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics. This has helped you to gain a baseline of pupils’ starting points and to set targets for this year. Further checks were made in November

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

2020, to gauge pupils’ progress since the start of term and ensure that any gaps in learning are being closed.  Assessments have identified that younger pupils lack the stamina to write at length. Staff are providing regular tasks to develop pupils’ writing skills. Assessments have also shown that in Year 6, pupils’ learning of reading and mathematics had slowed. Leaders feel that almost all pupils are now making much better progress and should be fully ready for national assessments next year.  In the Reception class, children have settled promptly. Your chosen phonics programme is used alongside other resources, to promote early reading. Regular monitoring ensures that those needing additional help receive the support they need. A systematic reading scheme is used throughout Reception and Years 1 and 2. To build on this further, a new range of reading books is being introduced into Years 3 to 6 this year to promote pupils’ wider reading.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Last term, teachers introduced a blend of digital resources and paper-based tasks to enable pupils to learn at home. Leaders are seeking to develop this approach further this year by preparing more video materials that can be used at any time by pupils at home.

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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 two chairs of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Norfolk. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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