A BRADFORD primary school has put on hold the introduction of a new languages curriculum, instead focusing on pupils' phonics knowledge, which suffered due to troubles caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Byron Primary School, in Barkerend Road - like many other schools across the Bradford district - is having to fill gaps in students' learning and continually adapt, according to Ofsted.

This is due to the disruptions that the Covid-19 virus has brought about to the education system right across the country.

Ofsted remotely visited Byron Primary on December 9, 2020, as part of the body's commitment to discovering how schools have responded to the crisis.

These visits are conducted by Her Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) and schools are not graded.

Byron Primary's report was published last week, on January 28.

The school - which has a nursery provision and usually caters for 694 pupils in total, according to Ofsted's latest figures - has been hit hard by the pandemic.

More than half of the Byron Primary's pupils had to work from home for a period of time during the Autumn term because of coronavirus.

A small number of students in Year 3 were self-isolating, and the school was closed to one group of nursery children, at the time of Ofsted's remote visit.

The school adapted its wider curriculum to support pupils’ return to school in September 2020.

This included focusing on personal, social, health and economic education at the beginning of term to help pupils settle back into learning.

The turmoil and upheaval caused by the pandemic throughout most of the back-end of the last academic year has led to students at Byron Primary having gaps in their knowledge in phonics and mathematics.

Leaders have prioritised catching up in these key areas and that has meant pausing the introduction of a new languages curriculum.

The report states: "Leaders’ checks have shown that pupils’ phonics knowledge has been affected by Covid-19 restrictions.

"For example, Year 1 pupils were not able to blend sounds as the school would expect.

"There is now a greater focus on teaching missed phonics skills.

"In writing, there is more focus on spelling, grammar and building writing stamina.

"In mathematics, the curriculum has been organised to cover the content that pupils missed during the period of partial closure.

"For example, pupils in Year 3 are being taught some of the content that would normally be taught in Year 2."

This gap in learning was also present in the school's nursery.

Children there are lacking some of the "basic skills that leaders would normally expect at this time", according to the report.

It states: "As a result, leaders have adapted the curriculum to focus on the ‘letter of the week’ earlier than usual."

The school has also been forced to adapt the way certain subjects are taught to keep students and staff safe.

The report states: "Physical education and music have been adapted to include activities that do not require the sharing of equipment."

Remote education is aligned to the school’s curriculum.

Pupils that are forced to self-isolate can access work through paper packs, or the use of digital technology.

Teachers record lessons for pupils, when whole class "bubbles" have to stay at home.

This supports them in completing learning tasks at home.

The findings are based on discussions with the school’s headteacher, Richard O'Sullivan, the deputy headteacher, the attendance manager, a deputy safeguarding leader and a range of subject leaders.

The inspectors - HMI Matthew Vellensworth and HMI Steve Shaw - were not able visit lessons, check work, or speak to pupils, as they would during a normal inspection.

HMIs are visiting around 1,200 schools across all Ofsted grades, and of all types, to see how England's education system is managing the return to full education for pupils, following an extended break in formal schooling due to the pandemic.

The Telegraph & Argus contacted Byron Primary for a comment, but received no response.