Setting

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

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Lisa Lockett Headteacher Stalyhill Infant School Stalyhill Drive Stalybridge Cheshire SK15 2TR

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Ofsted remote visit to Stalyhill Infant School

Following my remote visit with Sheila Iwaskow, 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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Ofsted remote visit to Stalyhill 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 Stalyhill 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 Stalyhill Infant School

During the visit, we spoke to you. 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 our visit, one Year 2 class ‘bubble’ was self-isolating at home. Approximately half of the pupils in the school have spent some time working from home since the start of autumn term 2020.  Pupils are not currently studying the full range of curriculum subjects. You explained that this is because teachers are dedicating more teaching time to English, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic education. You expect all pupils to return to their usual curriculum by the start of summer term 2021.  Teachers’ assessments have found gaps in pupils’ reading and phonics knowledge. You explained that all pupils have been given additional phonics sessions and resources to help them catch up. Older pupils have been given more opportunities to practise their comprehension skills to help them regain lost knowledge.  Teachers have identified pupils’ new starting points in mathematics. Children

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

in Reception lack confidence when matching groups of objects to a number. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are not as confident in areas such as reasoning and problem-solving as they were prior to March 2020. Teachers are revisiting these areas before moving on to new curriculum content.  Plans are in place to check what pupils have remembered or forgotten since March 2020 in subjects other than English and mathematics. Teachers are modifying the content of these subjects to cover any missed learning.  Whole-class bubbles and individual pupils that are self-isolating are provided with either online or paper-based resources to support their learning at home. The activities provided in these resources reflect the curriculum that pupils are being taught in school. Teachers check pupils’ work and provide feedback. You told us that parents have received guidance explaining how they can support their children with 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 regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Tameside. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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