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

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Claire Gaskin Executive headteacher Morville C of E Primary School Morville Bridgnorth Shropshire WV16 4RJ

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Ofsted remote visit to Morville C of E Primary School

Following my remote visit with Heather Simpson, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 10 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 Morville C of E 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. Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, we made this visit remotely to reduce pressure on the school.

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Ofsted remote visit to Morville C of E 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 remote visit to Morville C of E Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the head of school and the executive learning support advisory teacher. 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 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:

 At the time of the remote visit, a small number of pupils from different year groups were self-isolating. Since the beginning of term, approximately 10% of pupils have had to work from home.  Pupils are continuing to study their usual range of curriculum subjects. Leaders have had to make adaptations to the way in which some subject content is being delivered, such as in food technology and music. Leaders anticipate that they will have returned to their usual curriculum before Summer 2021.  Staff have checked pupils’ new starting points in English and mathematics. Leaders say that reading remains a strength, and they think this is because of the support pupils received at home from parents during local restrictions. They have noticed that younger children have some gaps in their phonics knowledge and are providing them with additional help. Leaders have noticed that writing is an area for development because pupils’ handwriting has

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

declined. Pupils are not showing the same stamina for extended writing that they did previously.  In mathematics, leaders have noticed that the younger pupils need additional help, especially in their understanding of place value. They have not retained mathematical knowledge as well as the older pupils.  Pupils are covering some curriculum subjects in different ways. In music, for example, pupils used Makaton signing in their Harvest performance rather than singing. In physical education, pupils are following a programme of activities that they would have participated in during the summer term.  Remote education is currently being accessed by individual pupils who are self- isolating. Leaders say that their approach to remote education will be the same if any class ‘bubbles’ have to self-isolate in the future. Staff provide parents with a timetable of activities for the day, which mirrors lessons that

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

take place in school. Activities are accessed online and can also be paper- based. Sometimes, staff have to adapt the way subjects are delivered. For example, pupils may have to complete a worksheet after watching a video of a science experiment because staff cannot replicate the experiment at home 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 local academy board and the chief executive officer of the Diocese of Hereford Multi-Academy Trust, the director of education for the Diocese of Hereford, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Shropshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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