Setting

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

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Debbie Douglas Headteacher Savile Town Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infant and Nursery School Warren Street Savile Town Dewsbury West Yorkshire WF12 9LY

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Infant and Nursery School

Following my remote visit with Zoe Lightfoot, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 19 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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Infant and Nursery 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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Infant and Nursery 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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Infant and Nursery School

During the visit, we spoke to you and your deputy headteacher. 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 visit, pupils in the Year 1 and 2 class ‘bubble’ were self- isolating and accessing education remotely. This bubble has previously self- isolated this term. Around one third of pupils have had to self-isolate at some point since the start of term.  Pupils are studying most subjects that make up the school’s usual curriculum, with the exception of music, design and technology, and computing. You told us that you have not yet returned to these subjects so that there is more time to focus on reading, mathematics and personal, social and health education. You hope to return the school’s usual curriculum by the autumn term of 2021.  Teachers have checked pupils’ new starting points in reading and have identified that many pupils in Years 1 and 2 have gaps in their phonics knowledge. You told us that you are now spending more time teaching reading. Pupils are receiving two daily phonics sessions, in addition to

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

individual and small group interventions.  In mathematics, teachers have assessed pupils’ new starting points. Leaders have adjusted the curriculum plans to focus on the previously taught content that pupils have not remembered or which they missed. You told us that you have prioritised teaching place value. Some pupils are receiving extra mathematics support to help them catch up.  In the wider curriculum, teachers are prioritising personal, social, and health education. You explained that teachers have made changes to curriculum plans in other subjects, such as geography and history, so that any knowledge that pupils have missed is covered this year, alongside the school’s usual curriculum.  Teachers are delivering remote education to pupils who are self-isolating. Pupils receive daily activities linked to the school’s usual curriculum in English or mathematics. You told us you are not providing remote education for

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

subjects such as geography and science.  You are developing systems so that you can check whether pupils are accessing remote education when they are self-isolating at home. You told us that staff have received training to help them deliver remote education.

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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 director of education for the Diocese of Leeds, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Kirklees. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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