Setting

Jo Wilkinson Headteacher Glenaire Primary School Thompson Lane Shipley West Yorkshire BD17 7LY

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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Glenaire Primary School

Following my remote inspection with Martin Finch, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), 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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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Glenaire 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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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Glenaire Primary School

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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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Glenaire 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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Additional, remote monitoring inspection of Glenaire Primary School

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

 develop teachers’ subject knowledge in subjects other than reading, writing and mathematics so that the curriculum is delivered well

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

 develop the skills of subject leaders and teachers so that they can check how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum.

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Context

 The deputy headteacher left the school in December 2020. Governors are currently in the process of recruiting to fill this vacancy.

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Context

 During the autumn term 2020, only a small number of pupils had to work at home.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, 60% of pupils were being educated remotely. Just over 60% of your vulnerable pupils were being educated on site. Approximately 50% of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) were also coming into school.

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Main findings

 Leaders have prioritised the teaching of phonics, reading, mathematics and writing in the current circumstances. Pupils access live teaching daily. They choose how to complete their learning. Some pupils send their work for teachers to check online, while others write inside their exercise books. A small number of pupils receive paper packs to complete their learning. Parents and carers are supportive of the school’s remote education offer. One parent commented that: ‘The class teachers are putting in so much effort with the remote learning, and as parents it is nice to have such support.’ This comment was typical of parents’ responses to Ofsted’s survey.

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Main findings

 Leaders focused on developing new curriculum plans in all subjects after the previous inspection. They have thought carefully about the knowledge they want pupils to learn and remember. By March 2020, leaders had implemented the new plans in mathematics and English. Leaders decided to postpone implementing new plans in other subjects.

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Main findings

 The new mathematics curriculum emphasises fluency and recall of facts. Pupils have ‘passports’ which show the mathematical knowledge that they have studied. Teachers use the passports to check that pupils retain what they learn. Leaders must also now develop ways of checking pupils’ understanding in other subjects. The pandemic has slowed down leaders’ work with this.

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Main findings

 In some subjects, including art, humanities, physical education and design and technology, pupils being educated remotely are set activities to do together with their families. This approach has been introduced in response to the current national restrictions. The school timetable has been adapted and each afternoon has a different curriculum focus. Teachers share tasks and instructions for families to follow. Leaders anticipate that pupils will have gaps in knowledge in these subjects when they return to school. Leaders are confident that the new curriculum plans will help to fill these gaps. However, some teachers need further support with how to implement curriculum planning. Leaders have particularly identified the need to strengthen staff’s subject knowledge. They are at the early stages of setting up a partnership with the local secondary school. Leaders explained that the partnership will enable teachers to benefit from colleagues’ subject knowledge, for example in

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Main findings

 In the early years and key stage 1, pupils receive live daily phonics lessons. Lessons are interactive and pupils apply their phonics skills. For instance, they show their teacher how they blend sounds. Pupils at home and on site benefit from additional catch-up classes. Those who are vulnerable are given one-to- one support to practise their reading, such as learning to recognise initial sounds. Pupils told us that they enjoy phonics lessons because they are fun, and teachers help them when they need it. Teachers read to their classes online at the end of each day to promote a love of reading.

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Main findings

 The curriculum for pupils with SEND has been adapted to suit the learning needs of individual pupils. During lockdown, leaders have invested in resources to enable pupils working at home to be as independent as they can. Communication aids using printed pictures help pupils to understand the learning. Other therapies for pupils with education, health and care plans continue to take place.

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Main findings

 Governors are well informed about the education pupils are receiving. They have challenged leaders to make sure that practical equipment is available to all families. For example, leaders now send home resource packs so that parents do not need to buy learning materials during lockdown. Governors have also worked closely with leaders to review curriculum planning. They are keeping a close eye on leaders’ work to improve staff’s subject knowledge. Governors understand the role that this will play in improving the curriculum in subjects other than reading, writing and mathematics.

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Main findings

 Leaders work in partnership with other schools in the federation. The federation chief officer meets weekly with school leaders. She monitors the impact of leaders’ actions and provides feedback and support as necessary.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, other senior leaders, pupils, staff, representatives of those responsible for governance 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

We also sampled recorded lessons and listened to pupils read. We looked at responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 49 written responses, and 21 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 Bradford. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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