Setting

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

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Jon Bishop Headteacher Robert Bakewell Primary School Barsby Drive Loughborough Leicestershire LE11 5UJ

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Ofsted visit to Robert Bakewell Primary School

Following my visit with Chris Davies, 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 Robert Bakewell 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 Robert Bakewell 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 Robert Bakewell Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the deputy headteacher, the attendance and welfare administrative assistant, the leader responsible for behaviour and the home- school support worker. 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:

 Since the start of term, approximately a third of pupils have had to access remote learning, including one year-group ‘bubble’ which had to isolate for three days. There were no pupils isolating at the time of the visit.  Pupils are studying their usual range of subjects. Currently, they do not take part in food technology or do swimming in physical education (PE). Some changes have been made to the way content is taught in PE.  Trips and visiting speakers have been cancelled. Some after-school clubs have been temporarily suspended. Leaders plan for pupils to return to their usual full curriculum by the summer term 2021.  Teachers have checked pupils’ phonics knowledge. Pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 are receiving extra phonics lessons. Pupils in Year 3 have daily phonics lessons.  Recent assessments identified reading as a high priority. Teachers are providing additional opportunities for pupils to read during the school day.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

Extra support is planned for pupils who may need further help.  Checks on pupils’ writing have identified that some pupils are not able to write as much as they should. Teachers are asking pupils to write longer pieces more often. They are also providing additional handwriting lessons.  Teachers have found that some pupils have forgotten important mathematical knowledge. Teachers make sure that pupils go over what they learned previously. For example, teachers give pupils extra time to practise their calculation skills.  In the wider curriculum, some subject content has been checked and revisited. For example, in computing and art, teachers provide time in lessons to fill any gaps in pupils’ knowledge before moving on to new content.  Teachers publish weekly plans of work on the school’s website for pupils who are learning at home. Parents and carers can access online books and phonics videos, as well as other resources, to help their children learn.

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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 board of trustees, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Leicestershire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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