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

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Emma Pitman Headteacher Charlotte Nursery and Infant School Trinity Close Ilkeston Derbyshire DE7 8LQ

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Ofsted visit to Charlotte Nursery and Infant School

Following my visit with Di Mullan, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 13 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 Charlotte Nursery and Infant 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 Charlotte Nursery and Infant 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 Charlotte Nursery and Infant School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the school’s two deputy headteachers, the head of the early years, and the school’s family support worker. 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 reopened to all pupils on Monday 7 September 2020. A small number of pupils are self-isolating.  You are continuing your approach of informing parents of the importance of attendance for every child. Attendance levels are currently in line with those you would expect at this time in the school year.  All pupils are currently studying all subjects in the usual curriculum.  Some aspects of subjects are not currently being taught, such as cooking in design technology. No extra-curricular clubs or trips are taking place.  In the early years, staff have noted that children are beginning the new school year with lower levels of communication, listening and attention than usual. Staff are making these aspects a priority. Leaders are also ensuring staff focus on pupils’ mental well-being.  Teachers in Years 1 and 2 have assessed pupils’ reading skills. Gaps in some pupils’ knowledge mean that they cannot, with confidence, put sounds

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

together to make words, or separate them accurately to spell. Staff are giving pupils extra phonic sessions so that they can catch up.  In mathematics, teachers have noted that many pupils’ knowledge of number and place value is not secure. Staff are teaching the aspects of these areas that pupils have forgotten.  Because of the focus on reading, writing and mathematics, teachers have less time to teach other subjects. They aim to cover the content of all subjects by the end of the year.  Teachers are sending packs of work home for any pupils who are self- isolating, along with links to nationally available online lessons. Leaders have plans for remote learning, in the event of a local lockdown, which would also include teachers recording lessons for pupils.

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

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