Setting

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

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David Nightingale Headteacher Moorfield Community Primary School Cutnook Lane Irlam Salford Greater Manchester M44 6GX

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Ofsted visit to Moorfield Community Primary School

Following my visit with Sue Eastwood, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), to your school on 10 December 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 visit to Moorfield Community 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.

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Ofsted visit to Moorfield Community 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 visit to Moorfield Community Primary School

During the visit, we spoke to you, the deputy headteacher and the assistant headteacher. We did not speak to pupils because of the protective measures in place.

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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 (coronavirus) pandemic. 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 half of the pupils have had to spend some time studying from home since the start of autumn term.  Pupils are studying the usual range of subjects, but teachers have changed some subject content to account for pupils’ missed learning since March 2020. Teachers have also changed some planned activities, for example in physical education, where they are prioritising the teaching of sports outside. You intend to return to your usual curriculum by summer 2021.  Teachers have identified the phonics learning that pupils have missed between March and July 2020. Teachers’ checks also show that pupils have lost reading stamina and are not able to answer questions about what they have read. You are providing extra support for pupils to catch up.  Teachers have checked what pupils have remembered in mathematics. In Years 1 and 2, some pupils need extra help with number work and when solving problems. In Years 3 to 6, some pupils are being supported, to regain

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From this visit, inspectors noted that:

their multiplication and division knowledge.  In subjects other than English and mathematics, teachers are aware of the learning that was missed when schools were only open to some children due to COVID-19 restrictions. Teachers are adjusting their planning to ensure pupils have opportunities to catch up with this learning.  You are providing remote education to individual pupils and whole-class ‘bubbles’ who need to study from home. You explained that parents can request a paper-based pack which includes work for all subject areas, including English and mathematics. The same work is also available online. 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 Salford. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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