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

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Lindsay Evans Headteacher Middleham Church of England Primary School Park Lane Middleham Leyburn North Yorkshire DL8 4QX

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Ofsted visit to Middleham Church of England Primary School

Following my visit with Jenny Thomas, Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI), to your school on 1 October 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 Middleham 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 Middleham 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 Middleham 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:

 The school fully opened on 8 September 2020 to all pupils.  Attendance for the youngest pupils remains in line with what is typical for your school at this time of year. For older pupils, it is below the normal attendance rates. A number of pupils are self-isolating due to COVID-19 related symptoms.  Currently, all pupils are studying the full range of curriculum subjects. You explained that staff are working together to decide how they can adapt the curriculum to put in the support required for pupils to catch up, particularly with mathematics, phonics and reading.  You directed teachers to carry out checks on pupils’ new starting points in mathematics, phonics and reading, and these are ongoing. Teachers report that there are some gaps in pupils’ knowledge due to the learning they missed in the spring and summer terms. Leaders are considering the best ways to support pupils to catch up.  Teachers have mapped out the work that has been missed by pupils in the wider

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

curriculum. You explained that the curriculum is being adapted to cover the work that pupils missed when the school was not fully open to all pupils.  Leaders have a plan in place to deliver remote learning. You explained that a member of staff coordinates work, linked to the usual curriculum, for pupils who are self-isolating due to COVID-19. 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 Leeds, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for North Yorkshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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