Setting

Caroline Boddy Donnington Wood Infant School and Nursery Centre Baldwin Webb Avenue Donnington Telford Shropshire TF2 8EP

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School and Nursery Centre

Following my remote inspection with Heather Phillips, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 4 March 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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School and Nursery Centre

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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School and Nursery Centre

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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School and Nursery Centre

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

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School and Nursery Centre

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) 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 Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 ensure that middle leaders take on additional responsibility for curriculum planning and for monitoring the effectiveness of the provision in the wider curriculum

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 increase the level of engagement in the learning of children from Traveller families.

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Context

 There have been no changes to the senior leadership of the school. However, the majority of governors are new since the last inspection, including the chair and vice-chair.

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Context

 Across the autumn term 2020, a small percentage of individual pupils were educated remotely. No class or year group was affected disproportionately.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, just over two thirds of pupils were being educated at home. About two thirds of vulnerable pupils were attending on site. Over half of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were attending on site.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, a very small proportion of staff were absent due to COVID-19. Leaders have been managing this through the redeployment of existing staff in school.

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Context

 The nursery class has remained open throughout all the national lockdowns and the majority of children have attended regularly.

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Main findings

 Leaders and governors ensure that all pupils have access to a broad range of subjects remotely or in school. Since over a quarter of pupils do not have access to a digital device at home, leaders have supplied paper-based resources. This has ensured a parity of provision and the successful engagement of most pupils in their learning.

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Main findings

 Certain subjects and topics have been suitably adapted where activities cannot practically take place at home, or where specialist equipment is needed. This has led to the reordering of some units. For example, in design and technology the Year 2 topic ‘wheels and axles’ has been delayed until after pupils return to school. Where pupils do not have equipment at home to practise fine motor skills, leaders have provided play dough. Religious education has not been taught during lockdown. Leaders plan to teach missed work when the school reopens fully. Long-term curriculum planning led by senior leaders in English and mathematics has continued despite Covid-19. Middle leaders are not yet fully involved in curriculum planning nor monitoring the effectiveness of curriculum delivery in the wider curriculum.

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Main findings

 Leaders have carefully checked reading books and organised them to ensure they match the sounds that pupils have learned. All of the weakest readers who are in school receive additional catch-up support with their reading. The school uses an online platform so teachers can monitor pupils’ reading at home. About 90% of parents upload work regularly where pupils are learning remotely. Some pupils have been harder to engage with reading. Teachers have continued with activities on site, such as World Book Day, to promote a love of reading.

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Main findings

 In mathematics, the well-structured curriculum plan has enabled leaders to set work at the appropriate level of challenge. All year groups study the same unit at the same time, for example ‘place value’. Resource packs contain the equipment pupils will need for each activity, for example analogue clocks. Where this is not possible, leaders provide suggestions, such as pasta shells for counting. Leaders have considered thoughtfully the topics to delay, which require greater input from teachers.

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Main findings

 Leaders make daily telephone calls to the vulnerable pupils who are not in school. In some cases, there are daily home visits, where the school works in partnership with external agencies. Parents comment on how they appreciate the way staff ‘go above and beyond’ to support them and their children. Even where some pupils are not engaging with work, particularly some Traveller families, the school ensures that safe and well checks are carried out face to face when they deliver work packs.

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Main findings

 Leaders have strived to make sure that every pupil with SEND who is learning from home receives a bespoke work pack, tailored to their individual needs. Packs include equipment for specific pupils, for example masking tape so that pupils can practise balancing by walking in a straight line at home. Where there are concerns, leaders have arranged for pupils to come into school. All pupils with SEND who are at home are engaging with remote learning, although some more than others. Those in school have benefited from additional daily support. Support from external services, including physical occupational or speech therapy, has continued on site or, in the case of education psychology, remotely.

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Main findings

 Governors are fully involved in checking on the well-being of leaders and holding them to account for their curriculum plans. Changes to the governing body have meant that governors have the expertise to ask the right questions. They know in detail the content and quality of remote learning and the reasons why work has been adapted, for example in physical education. They have regular links with senior leaders for English, mathematics and SEND. Governors are assiduous in ensuring that the safety of all pupils, including the most vulnerable, is a standing agenda item on all their meetings.

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Main findings

 Leaders have benefited from effective external support provided by the local authority and their school improvement partner. They have also commissioned external reviews of their curriculum and SEND arrangements. This has enabled leaders to develop their curriculum plans, strengthen leadership and enhance their provision.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, senior leaders, the chair and vice-chair of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and the school improvement partner to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

We also met with a group of pupils. We looked at samples of remote lesson activities and pupils’ work, with a specific focus on early reading, English, mathematics and work set for pupils with SEND. We looked at responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 23 free-text responses, and 28 staff questionnaires.

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Evidence

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

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