Ofsted conducted a visit to Red Lane Primary School on 8 October 2020, following the school's reopening on 7 September 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic. The visit was part of a broader initiative to assess how schools are managing the return to full education after an extended break. The visit was not an inspection, and no graded judgments were made. Instead, it focused on gathering information about the school's current situation and the measures taken since the full reopening.
During the visit, discussions were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, and the executive headteacher, as well as school leaders responsible for safeguarding, attendance, behavior, and the curriculum. Due to protective measures in place, inspectors did not speak with pupils. The visit aimed to gather insights that would contribute to Ofsted's national reporting on the education sector's response to the pandemic.
The school has successfully opened for all year groups, with attendance levels exceeding those from the previous year. All pupils are engaged in the full range of curriculum subjects, although some content has been adapted to address the new starting points of the students. The school aims to return to the usual curriculum content by the summer term of 2021. Teachers are actively identifying gaps in pupils' knowledge across all subjects and have implemented various strategies to help students catch up. For instance, the school has extended the school day for key stage 2 pupils on Wednesdays and Thursdays to provide additional support.
In terms of literacy, assessments in phonics have shown that pupils are generally not far behind in their reading, except for Year 3, where more significant gaps have been identified. Extra support is being provided to help these pupils catch up. In mathematics, many students have forgotten basic number skills, such as multiplication tables, prompting the school to introduce catch-up sessions for all year groups.
The school has also assessed pupils' starting points in subjects like history and geography. To facilitate recovery, 'super learning' days have been introduced, allowing teachers to prioritize essential knowledge and skills that pupils may have missed. Additionally, the school has explored remote learning options to assist parents in supporting their children's education, investing in resources that enable pupils to participate in lessons via video links. The school feels prepared to implement remote learning if necessary in the future.
Overall, the visit highlighted the proactive measures taken by Red Lane Primary School to address the challenges posed by the pandemic. The school has demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that all pupils receive a comprehensive education while adapting to their current needs. The insights gathered during the visit will contribute to informing future educational policies and practices. The school community's efforts to support students during this transitional period are commendable, and the strategies in place reflect a thoughtful approach to education in the context of ongoing challenges. The findings from this visit will be shared with relevant stakeholders, including the local governing body and the regional schools commissioner, and will be published on the Ofsted website for broader dissemination.
