Setting

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

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Sarah Jarman Interim Headteacher Sutton CofE VC Primary School The Brook Sutton Ely Cambridgeshire CB6 2PU

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Ofsted remote visit to Sutton CofE VC Primary School

Following my remote visit with Stef Lipinski, 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 remote visit to Sutton CofE VC 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. 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 Sutton CofE VC 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 remote visit to Sutton CofE VC Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and senior leaders. As a senior leadership team, you have responsibility for safeguarding. 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:

 Since the start of this academic year, hardly any pupils have needed to work from home. Pupils’ attendance is better than usual for this time of year.  Leaders are prioritising core parts of the curriculum. There is a focus on reading, writing, mathematics and speaking and listening over this year. In the Reception year, teachers have planned more opportunities for children to develop their physical and social skills.  Teachers have been checking what pupils know and remember in English and mathematics from before March 2020. Pupils who need to catch up are being provided with additional instruction and support outside their usual lessons.  In mathematics, pupils in key stage 2 have returned to school needing more reminders about times tables and other basic mathematical knowledge. Teachers are addressing these gaps in knowledge in pupils’ daily lessons.  Leaders have planned the curriculum this year to include more opportunities

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

for pupils to regain or learn essential reading, writing and grammar knowledge and skills.  In other subjects, such as computing, leaders have focused on instructing pupils in keeping themselves safe when using the internet and social media technology.  An individual pupil or a year group ‘bubble’ will be provided with remote education from the first day of isolation. Leaders intend for pupils at home to learn the same as their peers in school. Teachers have been trained to use a digital approach to providing remote education and a new system is currently being implemented.

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

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