Setting

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

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Jacqueline Hampson Executive Headteacher Our Lady and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School Ennerdale Road Maryport Cumbria CA158HN

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Ofsted remote visit to Our Lady and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School

Following my remote visit with Naomi Taylor, 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 Our Lady and St Patrick’s Catholic 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 Our Lady and St Patrick’s Catholic 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 Our Lady and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the head of school and other senior leaders. 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, approximately one in five pupils have spent some time working from home.  You explained how pupils are studying the usual range of subjects that make up the school’s curriculum. You have amended the content of subjects such as history and geography so that more time can be provided for English, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic education. You intend to return to the school’s normal curriculum content by the end of the summer term 2021.  Teachers have assessed pupils’ new starting points in reading. Younger pupils are receiving extra catch-up sessions to revisit the letters and sounds that they have learned previously. Teachers are providing additional time for older pupils to practise their comprehension skills.  Teachers have carried out similar checks on pupils’ writing. Teachers are providing daily opportunities for pupils to practise their handwriting, spelling

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

and punctuation skills. This is to help remind pupils how to write accurately.  Since September 2020, pupils have spent time in mathematics lessons revisiting previous learning in number and place value. Teachers are providing additional time for pupils to recall and practise number facts and calculation skills.  In subjects other than English and mathematics, teachers have checked the learning that pupils missed after March 2020. Teachers are adapting their subject plans so that content can be covered in lessons, learning during lunchtimes and through reading carefully selected books.  You described how pupils access education remotely through online resources. Teachers plan daily learning for those pupils working at home. Where possible, this mirrors the learning of the rest of the class.

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

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