Setting

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

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Dawn Venn Principal Harris Primary Academy Haling Park 50–58 Haling Road Croydon Surrey CR2 6HS

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Ofsted remote visit to Harris Primary Academy Haling Park

Following my remote visit with Adam Vincent, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 26 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 Harris Primary Academy Haling Park

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 Harris Primary Academy Haling Park

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 Harris Primary Academy Haling Park

During the visit, we spoke to you, the assistant director, the curriculum lead practitioner, the lead practitioner for physical education and the regional office manager. 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:

 A small number of pupils have had to work from home for a period of time since the start of term.  Pupils are studying all subjects. Additional time is allocated to reading, mathematics and physical education. Leaders have plans in place for intensive swimming tuition once pools reopen.  Tests undertaken in September 2020 showed a mixed picture in pupils’ reading and phonics knowledge. Not all pupils were able to access the same variety of books over the summer term. Additional sessions are provided daily to help individuals catch up.  Leaders assessed that pupils needed support retrieving key number facts – such as times tables. Leaders also found gaps in pupils’ knowledge of shape, space and measure. Lengthening the school day has allowed for additional mathematics lessons to help pupils catch up in these areas.  In history, teachers are covering two units of work within lessons to plug gaps from the summer term. For example, pupils are revisiting learning about the

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

Romans whilst studying the Anglo-Saxons.  Very few pupils have had to access remote education this term. Where an individual is required to self-isolate, the full curriculum is available online. This aligns with the learning in school and consists of slides, videos and links to activities.  Should a whole class ‘bubble’ need to isolate, leaders plan for pupils to access remote education in the same way. In addition, elements of ‘live’ teaching would be provided throughout the day.

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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 chief executive officer of the Harris Federation multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Croydon. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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