Setting

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

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Sarah Williams Headteacher Oakfield Primary School Morecambe Avenue Scunthorpe North Lincolnshire DN16 3JF

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Ofsted remote visit to Oakfield Primary School

Following my remote visit with Tim Scargill-Knight, 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 Oakfield 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 Oakfield 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 Oakfield Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the senior leadership team, the special educational needs coordinator and the curriculum leaders responsible for English and mathematics. 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:

 You had one ‘bubble’ of children isolating at the time of the visit. This is the first time a bubble of pupils has had to work from home this term.  Teachers are delivering the school’s usual range of subjects, but content is reduced in some subjects. You told us that pupils will return fully to the school’s normal curriculum by January 2021.  Teachers are using a range of assessments to check what pupils know and remember in English, mathematics and across the wider curriculum.  Assessment has informed you that the development of language and reading fluency are priorities across the school. Guided reading is taking place outside the English lesson each afternoon. Additional chances to develop pupils’ vocabulary and increase talking opportunities have been built into every subject in the school’s curriculum.  In mathematics, assessment outcomes mean that teachers are focusing on improving pupils’ knowledge of times tables in Years 3 to 6. You have

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

introduced additional ‘making it stick’ sessions to support pupils’ rapid recall of key number facts. In addition, all pupils can access a ‘same day intervention’ session to address individual gaps in mathematical knowledge.  In the wider curriculum, teachers are using newly adjusted plans for all year groups. These plans have been created by subject leaders, and are designed to focus on the important skills and knowledge pupils have missed due to COVID-19. This subject content is then condensed to allow teachers to deliver the key learning in a shorter half-term block. Teachers will return to their usual curriculum planning at the start of the spring term 2021.  You have a range of remote learning options on offer if pupils are unable to attend school. Pupils access learning online or via printed workbooks. This learning matches the lessons they would receive in 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 North Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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