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

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Jane Hall Interim Headteacher Andover Church of England Primary School East Street Andover Hampshire SP10 1EP

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Ofsted visit to Andover Church of England Primary School

Following my visit with Kathryn Moles, 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 Andover Church of England 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 Andover Church of England 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 Andover Church of England Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the deputy headteacher. 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:

 Since the beginning of term, approximately one fifth of pupils have had to self- isolate for a short period while waiting for COVID-19 test results. A small proportion of pupils have had to do this more than once. You have not had to send home any class ‘bubbles’ of pupils.  Pupils continue to study the full range of curriculum subjects. Some content has been changed to allow pupils more time to catch up on learning that was missed during the summer. You have prioritised the teaching of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education to help pupils settle back into school. You intend for pupils to return to their usual curriculum content in the summer term 2021.  You have carried out checks to establish pupils’ new starting points in reading. Some pupils in Years 2 and 3 have taken a step back in their phonics knowledge. These pupils are receiving extra support to help them catch up. Teachers are helping older pupils to improve their reading fluency and

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

comprehension skills.  In writing, you have found that some pupils are struggling to write as much as they used to be able to, and many have forgotten how to use correct punctuation and grammar. Teachers are revisiting this knowledge and giving pupils more opportunities to practise writing.  Teachers’ checks in mathematics show that some pupils have forgotten the methods they should use to solve calculations. Teachers have spent extra time this term reinforcing these methods. Some pupils are receiving additional help to embed their understanding of basic number facts.  In other subjects, such as design technology and art, teachers are adapting what they teach when they find that pupils have forgotten key knowledge or skills. Staff have assessed pupils’ starting points in PSHE and are providing support for any who need extra help with their mental health and well-being.  Teachers provide work for pupils to do at home if they have to self-isolate.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

This is updated weekly and is available on the school’s website or as paper packs of work. You are developing further your plans for how teachers will check pupils’ learning if a whole bubble needs to learn from 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 chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Winchester, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Hampshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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