Setting

Joanne Tomlins Headteacher South View Community Primary School Postland Road Crowland Peterborough Lincolnshire PE6 0JA

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Primary School

Following my remote inspection with Phil Garnham, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), on 27 and 28 January 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to provide education to all pupils during the current circumstances.

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Primary School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 (2) of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections remain temporarily suspended. It was additional to the usual monitoring process for schools that are judged to require improvement.

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Primary School

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, this monitoring inspection was carried out remotely. As such, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would normally be the case during an on-site inspection. As a result, this letter provides a more limited level of assurance than our usual monitoring reports.

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Primary School

The inspection took place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in November 2019.

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Primary School

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 on the school, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

to provide education in the current circumstances. Ofsted

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

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

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Context

 The coordinator for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is on maternity leave. Her role is being fulfilled by the deputy headteacher.

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Context

 During the autumn term 2020, the school was closed entirely to pupils for four days due to an outbreak of coronavirus. Other than this, almost all pupils were in school. Only around 5% were educated remotely at any point in the term.

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Context

 Just over half of the pupils are currently receiving remote learning at home. All vulnerable pupils and around three quarters of the pupils with SEND are being educated on site.

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Context

 Two members of staff are working from home. Other members of staff are covering any in-school teaching duties.

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Main findings

 You and the staff have maintained your focus on the education of pupils. You have ensured that staff have high expectations and that morale remains positive. Staff are working together for the benefit of all pupils.

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Main findings

 Since the last inspection, you and subject leaders have reviewed the curriculum. You have defined the knowledge that pupils need to learn and when. This has allowed teachers to deliver sequences of lessons throughout the pandemic. Pupils study all the subjects in their normal curriculum.

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Main findings

 Staff are using a wide range of methods to deliver remote education. This includes recorded teaching, workbooks, digital packages and websites, and projects. You have listened to the experiences and views of both pupils and their parents. Staff are using this information to adjust and improve the work they give.

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Main findings

 Leaders are checking whether pupils are learning enough in different subjects. They are also making sure that staff keep in regular contact with pupils and do all they can to keep them feeling positive. Pupils we met with remotely were very keen to tell us how much staff cared for them. They explained how teachers were revising things pupils had forgotten and teaching them lots of new learning too. This is helping them to learn as much of the curriculum as possible.

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Main findings

 Teachers have moved some things in the curriculum, such as learning musical instruments, to later in the school year. However, adjustments have been kept to a minimum. They send home lots of resources to keep the original sequences of lessons in place wherever possible. For example, pupils have rulers so that they can draw graphs in mathematics. Staff deliver clay and paint so that pupils can complete work in art and design.

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Main findings

 Effective, daily teaching of phonics remains one of your curriculum priorities. This is especially the case for those pupils who do not yet have secure phonic skills. You have purchased more reading books for pupils. These are well matched to help those learning to read practise the sounds they know. Teachers are also continuing to develop a love of reading in pupils. Teachers read well-chosen stories to them to engage pupils’ imagination.

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Main findings

 We watched recorded lessons, showing teachers explain things clearly. Challenging, age-appropriate work is also being set in, for example, mathematics. Here, pupils in Year 5 were being taught formal methods of multiplication. Pupils told us how they can let teachers know if they do not understand something.

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Main findings

 Education and pastoral support is being given to both the children of key workers and vulnerable pupils. You have provided education in school for all pupils whose families have requested it. The work teachers set is helping to meet the needs of these pupils. Staff are checking they attend school when planned and complete any work set at home.

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Main findings

 Staff provide effective help for pupils with SEND. While staff support these pupils well, they also encourage them to do as much as possible for themselves. Staff are in daily contact with any who are learning at home. They are also assisting families to access external services and organisations. Staff offer any families without suitable online access either a loan of a device, or a SIM card to support internet connectivity.

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Main findings

 The governing body has a wide range of skills and expertise. Governors use these to support staff and to hold you and other leaders to account. They are checking teachers fill the most important gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Governors’ also have a good understanding of parents’ views. This is helping to confirm parents’ strong support for staff’s work. The local authority has provided the school with valuable guidance and challenge. This includes assisting leaders of subjects to check teachers’ planning. Leaders can then make sure pupils are being taught the knowledge they need.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We held meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, representatives of staff, the chair and vice chair of the governing body and a representative of the local authority to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

We also undertook a scrutiny of the remote learning being set for different year groups, including in the early years, and in a variety of subjects. We also met with pupils remotely from Year 4, 5 and 6 to gather their views on the education and care they are receiving from staff. In addition, we observed remotely the pupils in key stage 1 reading books to members of staff.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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