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

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Caroline Boddy Headteacher Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre Baldwin Webb Avenue Donnington Telford Shropshire TF2 8EP

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Ofsted remote visit to Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre

Following my remote visit with Eve Morris, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 5 November 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 remote visit to Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre

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. Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, we made this visit remotely to reduce pressure on the school.

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Ofsted remote visit to Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre

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 remote visit to Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre

During the visit, we spoke to you, your assistant headteacher and the pupil and family support worker. We did not speak to pupils.

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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 fully to Year 1 and Year 2 pupils on 3 September 2020. Children in Reception began to attend full time on 5 September 2020.  Attendance has risen since the start of term. You told us that it is above the normal attendance for this time of year.  Pupils are studying their usual range of subjects. The order of some units of work, such as in physical education, has changed.  Teachers check what pupils know and can do before they begin any new work. They take account of learning that was missed during the period when schools were only open to some pupils due to COVID-19 restrictions, and build it into the current teaching plans. At the end of the new unit of work, teachers check again to see what pupils can remember.  You told us that rekindling a love of reading and securing phonic skills are key priorities this term. Some pupils are not reading as fluently as they used to. A new system for changing reading books is in place.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 In mathematics, there is currently a focus on recording. Teachers recap and revise what pupils have already learned and help is given to any pupil who struggles to remember what to do.  In the early years, staff have noticed that some children are not as independent as usual. For example, they are unable to put on and do up their own coat.  The school provides paper-based remote learning. Individual packs are delivered to pupils who are having to self-isolate due to COVID-19. Year-group packs based on a traditional tale such as ‘The elves and the shoemaker’ are ready to be distributed if a ‘bubble’ is sent home.

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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 Telford and Wrekin. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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