Setting

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

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Noreen Dunn Executive Headteacher Knowleswood Primary School Knowles Lane Home Wood Bradford BD4 9AE

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Ofsted remote visit to Knowleswood Primary School

Following my remote visit with Carl Sugden, Seconded Inspector, to your school on 26 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 Knowleswood 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.

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Ofsted remote visit to Knowleswood 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.

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Ofsted remote visit to Knowleswood Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you and the head of school. 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, no class ‘bubbles’ were self-isolating. Children in the Nursery and the Reception Years have had to self-isolate twice since the start of term. Around half of all pupils have accessed education remotely at some point since the start of term.  Pupils are studying the full range of subjects that make up the school’s usual curriculum. Teachers have made some temporary changes to the way the curriculum is delivered. For example, in history, pupils are engaging in some additional learning experiences in school, rather than taking part in educational visits linked to the topic they are studying.  Assessments have been completed in reading and phonics to check pupils’ new starting points. You told us that rebuilding pupils’ knowledge of reading and their writing stamina is a priority. You explained that you are spending more time teaching writing and phonics and providing more opportunities for pupils

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

to read in all subjects across the curriculum so that pupils can catch up.  Following teachers’ assessments of pupils’ new starting points in mathematics, you have prioritised revisiting basic number and place value in all year groups. In addition, teachers are particularly focusing on positional language and fractions for pupils in years 5 and 6 because of subject content that has been missed. You explained that pupils who need support to catch-up in mathematics receive extra daily sessions.  Teachers have started to check the knowledge pupils have missed or not remembered from subjects across the wider curriculum. You told us that teachers are not covering the full topics that were missed in history and geography, but instead are incorporating aspects of subject knowledge from the topics into the curriculum that is planned for this year.  Pupils who are self-isolating are provided with a blend of online education and

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

paper-based tasks. You explained that many pupils do not have access to devices to undertake work online from home. You told us that you are developing a new approach so that pupils have full access to your remote education offer when they are self-isolating.

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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 Bradford. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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