Setting

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

p.1

Karen Wood Headteacher Micklefield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Great North Road Micklefield Leeds LS25 4AQ

p.1

School

Following my visit with Chris Pearce, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 29 September 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.

p.1

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.

p.1

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.

p.1

School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the assistant headteacher, who is also the designated safeguarding lead. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

p.1

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. In undertaking this focused work, HMI are visiting a broad range of schools. HMI will visit a sample of:

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 The school opened for some pupils on 8 September 2020. After a staggered start, all pupils in Reception to Year 6 were expected to be back in school by 14 September. Nursery children had a staggered start and attended their usual routine hours from 21 September.  Attendance is broadly in line with the school’s normal attendance for this time of year.  Leaders have made changes to some subjects. These changes take into account the logistics of cleaning and sharing equipment. Leaders are aiming for pupils to return to their usual curriculum by summer 2021.  Teachers have taken steps to assess gaps in pupils’ knowledge, particularly in reading and mathematics. Leaders are in the process of considering how these assessments will affect what staff teach next.  Last year, you explained that reading and mathematics were given priority in curriculum planning. Checks on gaps in what pupils know mean these

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

subjects remain a priority. Teachers and teaching assistants are supporting pupils during lessons when they identify that extra help is needed.  When pupils started school in September, teachers focused on pupils’ well- being. The curriculum is beginning to be delivered as it was in the last academic year.  Teachers have provided paper-based packs of work for the small number of pupils who have needed work while away from the classroom. They have also signposted pupils and parents to some commercial online learning resources. Leaders are considering what will be required should they need to deliver the curriculum remotely in the future for larger numbers of pupils.

p.2

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.

p.3

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

p.3