Setting

Adam Smith Headteacher Chilmark and Fonthill Bishop Voluntary Aided Primary School The Street Chilmark Wiltshire SP3 5AR

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Voluntary Aided Primary School

Following my remote inspection of your school on 10 and 11 February 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to provide education to all pupils during the current circumstances.

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Voluntary Aided Primary School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 (2) of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections remain temporarily suspended. It was additional to the usual monitoring process for schools that are judged to require improvement.

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Voluntary Aided Primary School

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, this monitoring inspection was carried out remotely. As such, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would normally be the case during an on-site inspection. As a result, this letter provides a more limited level of assurance than our usual monitoring reports.

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Voluntary Aided Primary School

The inspection took place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in November 2019.

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Voluntary Aided Primary School

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 on the school, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

to provide education in the current circumstances. Ofsted

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

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

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Context

 Since the previous inspection, there have been a couple of staffing changes. A new teacher started in the spring term of 2020. The school’s senior teacher is now the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), having recently taken this role over from the headteacher.

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Context

 Across the autumn term of 2020 pupils’ attendance remained high. No pupils were required to work remotely due to COVID-19.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, the school was open to vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers. Approximately two thirds of pupils are learning remotely. Just over three quarters of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are learning remotely.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, a small number of staff were absent due to COVID-19.

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Main findings

 You and other leaders, including governors, are taking the necessary actions to provide education in the current circumstances. You are successfully ensuring that pupils can keep learning, whether at home or in school.

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Main findings

 Leaders have taken effective action to adapt the curriculum in English and mathematics. In September 2020, teachers checked what pupils could remember in reading, writing and mathematics and found gaps in pupils’ knowledge. For example, number and place value in mathematics. As a result, teachers have retaught key content in these subjects to help pupils to catch up.

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Main findings

 Leaders have introduced curriculum ‘maps’ for every subject of the national curriculum. These set out what teachers expect pupils to learn. In English and mathematics, these plans are working well. However, there are still weaknesses in the design of the curriculum in other subjects, such as history and art. In these subjects, there is a lack of clarity about what pupils should know and by when, including in the Reception Year. This is holding pupils back.

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Main findings

 Leaders are successfully making reading and phonics a priority, particularly for pupils who are falling behind. You told me that reading has played a vital part in ‘keeping the community together’ during the pandemic. For example, pupils in every class come together to read books through video conferencing. You have maintained daily whole-class phonics lessons for children in Reception and for pupils in Years 1 and 2, to keep them on track with their phonic development and provide much-needed social time together. Pupils enjoy reading and those who are in school like to make use of the new school library.

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Main findings

 You have taken the right action to ensure that vulnerable pupils and children of key workers who are not in school have a laptop and the hardware needed to access remote education.

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Main findings

 Leaders, including the SENCo, are making sure that the education and care of pupils with SEND remain a priority. Pupils and parents have regular opportunities to speak with the class teacher. You follow up concerns well to provide appropriate academic and pastoral support for pupils with SEND, including those working remotely.

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Main findings

 Governors have maintained regular contact with you throughout the pandemic. For example, the chair of the governing body holds weekly catch- up calls with you. Governors have played a critical role to make sure that pupils can access education in the current circumstances. As far as possible, they have also maintained their focus on wider school improvement to tackle remaining weaknesses.

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Main findings

 The school has drawn on support from a range of external partners. These have included English and mathematics ‘hubs’, as well as local school-to- school support with a national leader of education. You are also receiving frequent visits from the local authority. This is helping to improve the quality of education in English and mathematics.

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Evidence

I met with you and other senior leaders, such as those responsible for the curriculum, and the SENCo, to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

I also spoke with pupils in Years 4 to 6, observed pupils reading and looked at samples of pupils’ work in mathematics, art and history. I discussed the curriculum with subject leaders and teachers. I looked at responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 40 free-text responses, and seven staff questionnaires.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Salisbury, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Wiltshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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