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

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Nicola Kilvington Executive Headteacher Carrwood Primary School Eversley Drive Holme Wood Bradford West Yorkshire BD4 0EQ

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Ofsted visit to Carrwood Primary School

Following my visit with Tracey Ralph, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 22 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 Carrwood 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 Carrwood 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 Carrwood Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and members of the senior leadership team, including the designated leader for safeguarding. 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 opened to all pupils on 7 September 2020. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 were expected to attend full time from this date. Pupils in the Reception year had a phased start to the term and were expected to attend full time from 28 September 2020.  Pupils’ attendance since the start of term is lower than it was over the same period last year. You told us that the school’s attendance team are contacting families to encourage pupils to attend regularly. At the time of the visit, one class ‘bubble’ of 27 Year 6 pupils was self-isolating.  Pupils are studying all the subjects that make up the school’s usual curriculum.  Teachers have checked to see if pupils have any gaps in their phonics knowledge. You explained that teachers in Years 1 and 2 are spending more time teaching phonics to help pupils to catch-up with learning they have missed. Pupils who need the most help are reading more often with an adult.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 Teachers are checking in lessons to see if pupils have gaps in their mathematics knowledge. You told us that teachers are teaching curriculum content that pupils missed from the previous year, before beginning any new content. Some pupils are taking part in additional mathematics lessons to help them rebuild their knowledge and confidence in mathematics.  Teachers have reviewed the curriculum in subjects like history and computing to identify what pupils missed when the school was not fully open to all pupils. You explained that you have made temporary changes to curriculum plans so that any missed subject knowledge is covered this year, in addition to the content of the school’s usual curriculum.  Leaders have developed systems for pupils to receive education remotely. You explained that remote education largely covers the same content that is being taught at school.

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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.

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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 Bradford. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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