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

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Steve Crocker Headteacher Carlton Miniott Primary Academy Carlton Miniott Thirsk North Yorkshire YO7 4NJ

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Ofsted visit to Carlton Miniott Primary Academy

Following my visit with Tim Scargill-Knight, Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI), to your school on 20 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 Carlton Miniott Primary Academy

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 Carlton Miniott Primary Academy

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 Carlton Miniott Primary Academy

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:

 You opened the school to all pupils on 8 September 2020.  Pupils’ attendance is typical for your school at this time of year.  Leaders explained that pupils are studying the usual range of subjects that make up the school’s curriculum.  At the beginning of this term, teachers assessed pupils’ phonics knowledge. Teachers in Year 1 are delivering extra phonics lessons to address the gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge identified by your assessments.  Teachers have assessed pupils’ learning in mathematics. You told us that pupils in Years 5 and 6 remember their basic mathematics skills and multiplication tables. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are being taught in smaller teaching groups in mathematics lessons to help them secure this knowledge.  You explained that teachers’ assessments identified a decrease in pupils’ physical fitness and stamina. Teachers are prioritising this in physical education lessons.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 You use a combination of online and paper-based resources if pupils are learning at home. In the event of a ‘bubble’ self-isolating or a wider school closure, you plan to include online lessons streamed live from the classroom. 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 board of trustees and the chief executive officer of the Elevate multi-academy trust, 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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