Setting

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

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Alexandra Law Headteacher Harry Roberts Nursery School Commodore Street Stepney London E1 4PF

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Ofsted remote visit to Harry Roberts Nursery School

Following my remote visit with Jean Thwaites, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 17 November 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 remote visit to Harry Roberts Nursery 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. Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, we made this visit remotely to reduce pressure on the school.

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Ofsted remote visit to Harry Roberts Nursery 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 remote visit to Harry Roberts Nursery School

During the visit, we spoke to you and your deputy headteacher. Both of you are also designated safeguarding leads. We did not speak to pupils.

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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 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:

 Most children attend part time, but this is your usual practice. A very small number of children have had to work from home since September 2020.  Children are receiving the usual curriculum. Leaders have adapted some activities and routines, but all areas of learning are being taught. For example, singing activities take place outside.  Teaching staff checked children’s reading skills as soon as they began school in September 2020. They have not noticed any significant differences to children’s new reading starting points.  In mathematics, teachers have found that children’s new starting points are similar to those they would usually expect. However, they have found that some children have had less chance to experience mathematical language while they have been at home. Teachers are providing activities to help these children catch up.  In other subjects, teachers know that children have less awareness of the

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

world around them than usual, due to spending so much time at home. Teachers are using the outdoor area to provide experiences and activities that aim to fill these gaps in children’s learning. Leaders have created a planned programme of trips and visits. These are aimed at developing children’s knowledge and understanding of the world, once changes to restrictions enable these visits to take place.  Leaders have concentrated on providing guidance and advice to help parents use day-to-day home activities to provide remote education. Teachers have produced videos to demonstrate and explain simplified approaches to covering the whole range of the curriculum. Leaders are continuing to blend remote education with school-based learning now children are back at 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 Tower Hamlets. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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