Setting

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

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Wayne Simmons Acting Executive Headteacher Woodville C of E Junior School High Street Swadlincote Derbyshire DE11 7EA

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Ofsted visit to Woodville C of E Junior School

Following my visit with Steve Varnam, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 15 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 Woodville C of E Junior 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 Woodville C of E Junior 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 Woodville C of E Junior School

During the visit, we spoke to you and two assistant headteachers. 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.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with that typically seen at this point of the year. You have reminded parents and carers that pupils should be in school every day.  Pupils are not yet studying their usual range of subjects. Along with English and mathematics, you have prioritised the teaching of personal, social, health and economic education, and physical education. You recognise that some pupils need support to stay physically and mentally well.  You are carefully reintroducing other subjects. You expect to return to your usual curriculum by January 2021. Teachers will then assess pupils’ knowledge across the wider curriculum.  Teachers have checked pupils’ reading skills. They have found that some pupils have gaps in their understanding of the books that they read. Teachers have changed how they deliver lessons to help improve pupils’ reading skills.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 In mathematics, you know that some pupils have fallen behind in number. Teachers are revisiting previous learning to help the pupils to catch up. For example, they are giving pupils more time to practise number skills.  You are delivering remote education to a small number of pupils. This matches what the pupils are learning in school. You plan to move to an online system so that teachers can check pupils’ work and provide any support. 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 Derbyshire, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Derbyshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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