Setting

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

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Kathryn Melling Executive Headteacher Leyland Methodist Infant School Canberra Road Leyland Lancashire PR25 3ET

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Ofsted remote visit to Leyland Methodist Infant School

Following my remote visit with John Donald, 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 Leyland Methodist 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. 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 Leyland Methodist 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 remote visit to Leyland Methodist Infant School

During the visit, we spoke to you and other senior leaders. 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:

 The school opened fully to all pupils on 2 September 2020. You expect every pupil to attend full time.  Pupils’ attendance this term is broadly in line with the usual attendance for this time of year.  You have made changes to curriculum content and the order in which some subjects are delivered. For example, you have made changes to the order in which the curriculum is delivered in science. You intend to return to the school’s normal curriculum before the summer term 2021.  You explained to us how teachers have prioritised some curriculum subjects such as physical education and personal, social, health and economic education. You believe that this has helped pupils, including children in the early years, to settle into school more quickly.  You informed us that teachers have carried out checks to establish pupils’ new starting points in reading. Teachers have identified that some younger pupils

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

have forgotten the letters and sounds that they have learned already. You told us that teachers are providing additional support to these pupils to help them to catch up.  Since September 2020, pupils in Years 1 and 2 have spent time, in their mathematics lessons, revisiting previous learning about number and place value. Teachers are planning opportunities for pupils to practise applying this knowledge to mathematical problems.  Across the curriculum, you explained how subject leaders have identified learning that pupils have missed during the 2020 summer term. Subject leaders are amending their curriculum plans so that any lost learning is covered in lessons.  You described to us how pupils can access learning at home. You told us that you have developed systems to help to ensure that everyone is safe when working online. You have plans in place to further develop your remote education offer.

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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 school’s commissioner and the director of children’s services for Lancashire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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