Setting

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

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Katherine Skelton Interim headteacher Mill Field Primary School Potternewton Mount Leeds West Yorkshire LS7 2DR

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Ofsted visit to Mill Field Primary School

Following my visit with Debbie Redshaw, 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 Mill Field 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 Mill Field 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 Mill Field Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the senior leadership team, the head of teaching and learning and the attendance lead. 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 fully to pupils on 9 September 2020. Pupils in Reception had a phased start. All pupils were expected to attend full time from 16 September 2020.  Pupils’ attendance is higher than usual for your school at this time of year.  Pupils are studying most of the school’s normal range of subjects. Computing has not been taught this half term, but leaders have plans to ensure that this can be taught safely from November 2020. Time for physical education has been reduced this term. You told us that pupils will be studying the normal curriculum fully by September 2021.  Leaders have carried out assessments of pupils’ reading ages and compared these to where pupils were before coronavirus restrictions. These assessments show that some pupils have forgotten some of their previous learning. Leaders are addressing this with additional resources and extra- curriculum time for reading in all year groups.

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 In mathematics, teachers have carried out similar assessments. These have identified that pupils need support with geometry, number and place value in varying degrees across the school. In-class teaching, and additional interventions, are in place to support pupils with these knowledge gaps.  Leaders have not yet assessed pupils in the wider curriculum. Leaders are aware of the knowledge that has been missed during the summer term and are adapting the curriculum to cover this. For example, leaders have introduced texts to support pupils in their history lessons.  Leaders have plans in place to deliver the curriculum remotely if needed. These consist of a combination of online learning and paper-based packs.

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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 interim executive board, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Leeds. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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