Setting

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

p.1

Amanda Thompson Headteacher Paddocks Primary School Rochfort Avenue Newmarket Suffolk CB8 0DL

p.1

Ofsted visit to Paddocks Primary School

Following my visit with Jason Howard, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 10 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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Paddocks 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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Paddocks 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.

p.1

Ofsted visit to Paddocks Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and other school leaders. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

p.1

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:

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Since the start of term, a very small number of pupils have had to learn at home.  Pupils in all year groups are studying their usual range of subjects, but leaders have made some changes to the order of activities in physical education. Leaders plan to resume some school trips in the summer term.  In reading, teachers’ checks on pupils’ new starting points indicate that Year 1 and Year 2 pupils have made good progress in their ability to read. However, in Year 6, pupils’ understanding of what they are reading is not as secure as would normally be expected at this time of year. Teachers are providing more opportunities for pupils in Year 6 to develop their skills of comprehension.  Leaders have identified that while Year 6 pupils’ basic number skills are very secure, some pupils have gaps in their ability to recall information about the key features of different shapes.  Teachers’ checks have also shown that a very small number of Year 1 pupils

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

do not yet have a secure understanding of number facts. During lessons, teachers are revisiting this learning with pupils and giving them opportunities to practise and/or apply this learning.  In subjects other than English and mathematics, leaders have adapted their curriculum plans based on how much learning pupils have done at home and on the work that pupils submitted during the summer term.  Remote education has been developed so that pupils can be set daily work in English, mathematics and the class topic. Leaders have invested in new equipment to support pupils’ access to remote education. Teachers are working with pupils and their families to ensure that they are familiar with this way of working.

p.2

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.

p.3

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 Suffolk County Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3