Setting

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

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Sian Mainwaring Headteacher Tottenhall Infant School Tottenhall Road Palmers Green London N13 6HX

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Ofsted remote visit to Tottenhall Infant School

Following my remote visit with Sophie Welch, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 1 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 Tottenhall Infant 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 Tottenhall Infant 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 Tottenhall Infant School

During the visit, we spoke to you and other leaders, including the designated safeguarding lead. 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 term, a few pupils have had to study from home for several days while isolating.  Pupils are studying the usual range of subjects. Leaders have reviewed and adapted existing subject plans so that these incorporate any missed learning from the spring and summer terms 2020. Leaders expect to return to the usual curriculum by summer term 2021.  In early years and Year 1, pupils’ independence and self-care skills are weaker than is typical. Teachers have also identified that pupils’ early writing skills need strengthening. Teachers are incorporating opportunities to develop these skills into a range of everyday activities.  Teachers’ checks found that pupils had not remembered some of the phonics that was taught in the spring and summer terms. Teachers are giving more time to phonics this term. For example, they are running additional after- school lessons which focus on pupils’ reading skills, including phonics.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Leaders have identified that pupils in Year 1 are not confident in recalling some of the number facts they have been taught previously. Teachers are providing pupils with more time to practise addition and subtraction calculations. In Years 1 and 2, pupils are accessing additional online mathematics activities which focus on number facts and calculations.  In other subjects, teachers have identified the content that was not taught during the spring and summer terms. They have established what pupils need to know before moving on to new learning. Teachers have adjusted their subject plans accordingly to include this content.  When pupils need to study from home, teachers provide a combination of online and paper-based activities. Remote education is aligned to what is being taught in the classroom at the time. Leaders plan to move workshops for parents online. These focus on supporting their children’s learning, particularly

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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 Enfield. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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