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

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Craig Pickering-Mills Headteacher South Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant School Carlton Road South Elmsall Pontefract West Yorkshire WF9 2QQ

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Ofsted remote visit to South Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant School

Following my remote visit with Tracey Ralph, 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 South Elmsall Carlton Junior and 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 South Elmsall Carlton Junior and 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 South Elmsall Carlton Junior and Infant School

During the visit, we spoke to you and members of the leadership team, including the senior leader responsible for safeguarding. 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:

 Approximately a quarter of pupils have had to self-isolate and work from home since the start of the year. At the time of the visit, ‘bubbles’ in Years 1 and 2 were self-isolating and working from home.  Pupils are studying the full range of subjects that make up the school’s usual curriculum.  Teachers have checked pupils’ new starting points in reading. You told us that some pupils have less reading stamina than they had in March 2020, and some pupils have forgotten phonic sounds that they have been taught before. You told us that teachers are spending more time teaching reading to all pupils to help them to rebuild their fluency and stamina in reading.  In mathematics, leaders have asked teachers to make some temporary changes to the curriculum to incorporate the content pupils have missed. You informed us that teachers are spending more time teaching basic mathematical knowledge such as number and place value. Pupils who need

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

extra help to catch up in mathematics take part in daily intervention sessions.  Subject leaders have considered the content that pupils have missed in subjects such as geography and science. You explained that teachers are teaching any missed content this year alongside the school’s usual curriculum.  Pupils who are self-isolating are accessing education remotely. You told us that the remote education content aligns with the school’s usual curriculum. You have found that while most pupils complete tasks in English and mathematics, fewer pupils complete the work set for subjects such as geography and languages.  Teachers have had training to support them in delivering remote education. You explained that you have provided laptops and broadband connections for pupils who needed these to be able to access 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 schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Wakefield. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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