Setting

Adelaide Morris Headteacher Captain Shaw’s C of E Primary School Main Street Bootle Millom Cumbria LA19 5TG

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School

Following my remote inspection of your school on 2 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

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

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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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 September 2019.

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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 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 governors have the information that they need to check that the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is suitably adapted to meet their learning needs.

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Context

 Since the previous inspection, three members of the governing body have stepped down. The governing body is in the process of appointing new governors.

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Context

 In the autumn term 2020, approximately one tenth of all pupils, in this small school, received a period of remote education.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, approximately one in every eight pupils, including those pupils with SEND, were attending school.

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Main findings

 You and the school’s staff have ensured that all pupils have access to an education in the current circumstances. You have taken effective steps to ensure that pupils are provided with appropriate work and support from staff. The parents and carers who shared their views commented that they were very pleased with the quality of remote education that staff provide.

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Main findings

 Prior to the start of the pandemic, you had started to develop your curriculum plans, including in the early years. You were also in the process of thinking carefully about how to deliver those plans effectively. For example, you had successfully focused on the development of the mathematics curriculum across all year groups. However, at the outset of the first national lockdown, you decided to prioritise the delivery of remote education. To this end, you put your work to improve the school’s curriculum on hold. You have plans to continue this work when pupils return to school in March 2021.

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Main findings

 In order to deliver remote education effectively, you have made suitable adaptations to the curriculum. For example, you have changed the order in which the content of some subjects is delivered, such as in science. Teachers have also prioritised the learning that pupils have missed or forgotten from the summer term. This means that pupils are able to catch up quickly. However, pupils are not currently studying art, computing or design and technology. You have appropriate plans in place to enable pupils to catch up in these subjects when they return to school and have access to the specialist resources that they need.

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Main findings

 Whether pupils are working in school or at home, teachers frequently check on how well pupils are learning. Teachers identify pupils’ misconceptions. Pupils benefit from regular feedback on the quality of their work.  You have ensured that all pupils working at home have access to an electronic device. Teachers remain in regular contact with those pupils working from home. This helps staff to check frequently on pupils’ well-being and learning. Those pupils who attend school also benefit from extra support from staff.

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Main findings

 Younger pupils, including children in the early years, benefit from daily phonics sessions, regardless of whether they are in school or not. Each week, you provide all pupils with a carefully selected reading book. Teachers ensure that these books match the sounds that pupils are learning. Older pupils take part in daily reading activities that link appropriately to the novels that they are reading. Consequently, older pupils continue to develop their grammar and comprehension skills. It is also enabling them to read with confidence.

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Main findings

 The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has an appropriate oversight of the specialist needs of those pupils with SEND. You and the SENCo tailor individual pastoral support for these pupils. In addition, COVID- 19 restrictions have not prevented the SENCo from seeking advice and support from specialist services.

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Main findings

 Governors have an increasingly accurate knowledge of the school and they ask challenging questions about many aspects of your work. For example, they challenge you on the effectiveness of your remote education offer. You provide members of the governing body with useful information. That said, you have not provided them with enough information about how well staff meet the academic needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, governors do not have a strong enough understanding of how well teachers adapt the curriculum for these pupils to ensure that they are succeeding.

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Main findings

 Over the previous 18 months you have continued to benefit from the support offered by the local authority. This work has helped you to embark on and implement improvements to the school’s curriculum. The local authority continues to provide support for governors and the school’s early years team.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. I spoke with you and the other class teacher. I spoke with the chair of the governing body and a representative of the local authority to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

I examined the minutes of governing body meetings and examples of the school’s curriculum plans. I observed pupils read to a trusted adult. I considered the 13 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including the 10 free-text responses. I also reviewed the nine responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Carlisle, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Cumbria. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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