Setting

Rachel D’ardis Headteacher Broadfield Community Primary School Sparrow Hill Rochdale Lancashire OL16 1QT

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Primary School

Following my remote inspection with Adam Sproston, Her Majesty's Inspector (HMI), of your school on 25 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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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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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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Primary School

The inspection took place because the school has received one judgement of requires improvement. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in January 2020.

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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

 make sure that in all subjects, leaders identify the knowledge that children need to acquire in the early years and later year groups to prepare them for their next steps in learning.

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Context

 Since the previous section 5 inspection, three new governors have joined the governing body and a new interim chair of the governing body has been appointed.

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Context

 When the school closed to most pupils at the start of the spring term, approximately three out of every 10 pupils were attending on site. This included around half of all vulnerable pupils. Around half of all pupils with education, health and care plans were also attending on site.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, almost all pupils were attending on site.

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Main findings

 Over the past year, you, other leaders and governors have made sure that pupils were able to keep learning their usual curriculum. For example, staff helped pupils to continue with their education when working remotely this term. Pupils studied their usual breadth of subjects during this time. You and staff provide a wide range of support to meet pupils’ needs, including their well-being. Your actions enabled pupils to settle quickly when the school opened to all pupils in March 2021.

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Main findings

 At the start of the pandemic, leaders were in the process of developing the curriculum. To help with these improvements, you provided staff with a range of useful training opportunities and events. Subject leaders have developed their expertise by working with professionals from other schools. They have shared this knowledge with all teachers to support curriculum improvements.

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Main findings

 Subject leaders have used their enhanced expertise to identify the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and remember. Curriculum plans in some subjects, including mathematics and physical education, show how pupils will develop their learning from the early years to Year 6. Subject leaders have considered how pupils will revisit their learning to help them remember more over time. However, these positive improvements are not evident for all subjects. The curriculum plans for some subjects do not pay enough regard to the knowledge that children should gain in the early years so that they can be successful when they enter key stage 1.

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Main findings

 Teachers are checking on what pupils have remembered of their previous learning. They are using this information to amend the curriculum so that pupils can regain forgotten knowledge. During the period when the school was closed to most pupils, some curriculum content was changed to support pupils working remotely. For example, pupils did not follow their usual learning in music. Subject leaders are looking carefully at the learning that pupils have missed. They are in the process of identifying which essential knowledge pupils will need before moving on to new learning. Leaders are adapting curriculum plans to make sure that pupils catch up on this essential learning.

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Main findings

 You make sure that the teaching of reading is a key focus. You ensure that staff are well trained in teaching phonics. To help pupils catch up with learning missed due the pandemic, you have increased the frequency of phonics teaching. You have invested in new reading books which are carefully matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge. Teachers make regular and detailed checks to ensure that these changes are helping pupils to read more accurately and fluently.

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Main findings

 The small proportion of pupils that are currently working remotely are supported on an individual basis by staff. You and other leaders make timely checks to ensure that these pupils engage with their learning. Teachers check the activities that pupils complete remotely. They provide pupils with regular and helpful feedback to help them improve.

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Main findings

 You keep a careful check on the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those pupils identified as vulnerable. Teachers work closely with parents, carers and other professionals to identify any additional help that these pupils need. You ensure that this help is provided. For example, where needed, pupils access the school’s counselling service. You have established systems to check that these pupils benefit from the range of academic, social and emotional support that staff provide.

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Main findings

 Governors check regularly that the steps that you and other leaders are taking are improving the curriculum. Through these checks, governors ensure that vulnerable pupils get the additional support that they need. Governors keep a careful oversight of how you are using additional government funding to help pupils catch up. Governors have paid particular attention to how you are addressing the impact of the pandemic on workload to support staff well- being.

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Main findings

 Advisers from the local authority have helped you check that changes to the curriculum are working. They have supported you with making important decisions about the school’s remote education offer. This has ensured that all pupils have continued to receive an education during these challenging times.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, the deputy headteacher, and subject leaders in English, mathematics, physical education and science. We met with two representatives of those responsible for governance. We also spoke with the special educational needs coordinator and the children’s welfare officer. We met with a representative of the local authority. These meetings were to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

We also observed pupils when they read with an adult. We checked the curriculum plans and samples of pupils’ work. We looked at 44 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 12 free-text responses, and 54 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 Rochdale. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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