Setting

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

p.1

Naomi Wood Headteacher Middleton St Mary’s Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Moor Flatts Road Leeds West Yorkshire LS10 3SW

p.1

Controlled Primary School

Following my remote visit with Matthew Vellensworth, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 12 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.

p.1

Controlled 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.

p.1

Controlled 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.

p.1

Controlled Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and your senior leadership team. We did not speak to pupils.

p.1

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.

p.2

Context

In undertaking this focused work, HMI are visiting a broad range of schools. HMI will visit a sample of:

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

 At the time of the visit, Year 5 and Year 6 class ‘bubbles’ were self-isolating and accessing education remotely. Around two thirds of pupils have had to self-isolate since the start of term.  Pupils are studying most subjects that make up the school’s usual curriculum, with the exception of modern foreign languages (MFL). You told us that you have delayed the start of the MFL curriculum because you have given more time to reading and personal, social and health education. You hope to return to the school’s usual curriculum before the summer term of 2021.  Teachers have checked pupils’ new starting points in reading. You told us that some pupils have fallen behind in their reading. Because of this, you have adjusted your curriculum to spend more time teaching reading across different subjects, and staff are providing pupils with extra support.  In mathematics, teachers have assessed pupils’ new starting points. Leaders

p.2

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

have adjusted the curriculum plans to focus on the content that pupils have not remembered or that they missed. You told us that you have prioritised teaching place value and reasoning.  In the wider curriculum, teachers are prioritising personal, social and health education. You explained that teachers have made temporary changes to curriculum plans in other subjects, such as geography and science, so that any missed subject content is covered this year alongside the school’s usual curriculum.  Leaders have plans in place to deliver remote education that is in line with the school’s usual curriculum. Staff have received training on delivering remote education. Your plan includes a blend of online and paper-based learning.  You told us that you have provided devices for some pupils so that they can access remote education online.

p.2

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.

p.3

From this visit, inspectors noted that:

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the diocese of Leeds, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Leeds. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3