Setting

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

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Nick Turley Headteacher Threlkeld Church of England Primary School Blease Rd Thelkeld Cumbria CA12 4RX

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Ofsted visit to Threlkeld Church of England Primary School

Following my visit with Ian Hardman, 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.

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Ofsted visit to Threlkeld Church of England 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.

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Ofsted visit to Threlkeld Church of England 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 visit to Threlkeld Church of England Primary School

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

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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 (coronavirus) 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 third of pupils have spent some time learning from home.  You told us that pupils are studying their usual range of curriculum subjects, except for languages in selected year groups. You have prioritised the teaching of personal, social, health and economic education to support pupils’ well- being. You intend to return to the school’s usual curriculum before the summer term 2021.  In reading, teachers’ checks have revealed that younger pupils have forgotten some of their phonic knowledge. Teachers are providing additional support for these pupils. Teachers have selected books for older pupils to practise their reading skills, regain their confidence and refresh their comprehension skills.  In mathematics, teachers have identified that pupils have forgotten how to apply their knowledge of calculation methods to solve problems. Teachers have adapted their mathematics lessons to help pupils practise their problem-

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

solving skills.  In subjects other than English and mathematics, you told us that teachers have rewritten curriculum plans so that content from the 2020 summer term is covered. For example, teachers are delivering history lessons to revisit the knowledge that pupils have missed.  Teachers provide a combination of online and paper-based resources for those pupils who are self-isolating at home. Teachers set work for pupils each day in English, mathematics and other curriculum subjects.

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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 Carlisle, 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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