Setting

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

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Tracey Gannon Headteacher Abercrombie Primary School Higher Albert Street Chesterfield Derbyshire S41 7QE

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Ofsted visit to Abercrombie Primary School

Following my visit with Steve Varnam, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 9 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 Abercrombie 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 Abercrombie 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 Abercrombie Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you. 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:

 On the day of the visit, pupils from the Year 6 ‘bubble’ had returned from their second period of isolation since September 2020. Around half of all pupils have had to learn from home for a period of time during the autumn term.  Pupils are studying the school’s usual range of subjects except for a language. Swimming and some practical content in music and design technology have been moved to later in the year. Leaders plan to return to their usual curriculum by summer term 2021.  Teachers’ checks have shown that younger pupils have forgotten some of the phonic knowledge that they need to read unfamiliar words. Teachers are giving these pupils extra phonic lessons to help them to catch up.  In reading, checks have shown that older pupils are not able to understand texts as well as they previously did. Teachers are giving pupils more opportunities to read throughout the curriculum.  In mathematics, teachers have checked pupils’ understanding of place value

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

and number. Teachers are dedicating more time to revisiting missed content in these areas. Some pupils are receiving extra support after school to help them to catch up.  Teachers have checked pupils’ physical health across all year groups. Some pupils’ fitness levels have dropped during the time that the school was not open to all pupils due to Covid-19 restrictions. Leaders are ensuring that pupils get more exercise throughout the school day.  Leaders have planned an online and paper-based programme of remote education for pupils who are learning at home. This learning is based on the existing curriculum. Leaders are using a range of online learning programs to help pupils to learn at home and school.

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

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