Setting

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

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Daniel Sumner Headteacher Calow CofE VC Primary School North Road Chesterfield Derbyshire S44 5BD

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Ofsted visit to Calow CofE VC Primary School

Following my visit with Steve Varnam, 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 Calow CofE VC 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 Calow CofE VC 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 Calow CofE VC Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the assistant headteacher. 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. 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 opened to all pupils on 3 September 2020. All pupils attend full time. You gave thought to the admission of children new to the Nursery class so that they were supported as they started school.  Attendance is above that usually seen at this point in the school year. At the time of the visit, no year-group ‘bubbles’ had been sent home to self-isolate.  Pupils are studying the school’s usual curriculum. You plan to deliver some subject content later in the school year so that you have time to consider how it can be taught safely and well.  Teachers have identified gaps in some younger pupils’ phonic knowledge. You have increased the number of phonic sessions that pupils receive each week. You have purchased new books so that pupils have more opportunities to revisit, practise and apply their phonic knowledge.  Teachers have assessed all pupils’ knowledge in mathematics. They know that some pupils have gaps in their understanding of number and place value.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

Teachers are revisiting these, and other missed areas of the curriculum, so that pupils can catch up.  You have prioritised the teaching of personal, social, health and economic education. This is to support pupils’ well-being and their understanding of how to stay safe online. Teachers are in the process of identifying pupils’ new starting points in subjects other than English and mathematics.  Teachers deliver remote education to those pupils who need to self-isolate. You have made sure that what pupils learn at home is closely matched to what they would learn if they were in school. You have plans in place to improve further how this learning is delivered. 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 regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Derbyshire County Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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