The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You are proud of the inclusive nature of the school. Leaders and governors work in partnership with staff to serve a diverse community. You have created a supportive environment in which pupils’ creativity and passion for learning flourish. This is based on high expectations for pupils’ achievements and recognition of the vital role that parents play in their children’s development. Workshops are used to improve parental support for their children’s reading. A recent workshop, led by pupils who act as reading ambassadors, was attended by 70 parents. This high level of parental involvement reflects the school’s inclusive nature. A number of parents told me how much they appreciate the school’s emphasis on literacy, especially reading; how well staff keep their children safe; and how straightforward they find the school’s electronic communication systems. They also told me that the school is an integrated community, citing the annual international day as a particular way in which pupils learn about each other’s cultures when they share food, for example. Recent changes to the governance structure mean that governors are more able to concentrate their efforts on the needs of the school. Governors now receive better information about pupils’ progress and they must continue to use this effectively to hold leaders to account. The areas identified for improvement at the previous inspection have been addressed successfully. Subject leaders use progress information well to identify gaps in pupils’ skills and knowledge, and take action to support improvement. Lessons are designed to provide pupils with the right level of support and challenge to match their needs and abilities. In mathematics lessons, pupils regularly learn through problem-solving; this has built up their resilience and confidence when meeting new topics. Teachers set high expectations to promote greater depth of study. Leaders have promoted approaches to learning that foster independence and enjoyment. For example, the involvement of pupils in assessing their own mathematics work has helped pupils to understand not just what they are learning, but how best they learn themselves. Teachers encourage pupils by sharing exemplar pieces of work called ‘what a good one looks like’; pupils use these to improve their own writing. For example, pupils were engaged by thinking about spoonerisms, which gave them a sense of fun with their writing. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Those leaders responsible for safeguarding take appropriate actions to protect pupils. Policies for keeping pupils safe reflect the latest guidelines. When a safeguarding issue is identified, referrals are made quickly. Leaders liaise well with outside agencies and hold them to account. Staff receive appropriate training and regular updates to keep them informed. They are vigilant and follow procedures closely so that safeguarding leaders and, if necessary, external agencies are informed in a timely manner. Leaders understand the safeguarding issues for the local area; when incidents happen outside of the school they react quickly to provide pupils with the support they need. Pupils feel safe and know how to respond when they feel threatened, both at school and online. If pupils have an issue, they know they have the option of consulting their peers who act as ‘cyber-mentors’. Pupils also understand when to inform an adult. Parents agree that the school keeps their children safe. Inspection findings At our initial meeting we agreed on two lines of enquiry. The first was to evaluate pupils’ progress in reading, as this has been lower than that in writing and mathematics. Leaders had identified and taken action to address the underperformance in reading. This included a school reading action plan which resulted in changes to the curriculum and the resources available. Emphasis has been given to improving pupils’ involvement in their reading. The plan’s central theme is to instil pupils with the joy of reading through projects based on reading for pleasure. Leaders have raised the profile of reading. Reading records are kept and pupils receive prizes for their efforts. Pupils told me that they are encouraged to read and that their personalised reading plans help them to understand what they are capable of. They also said that the plans help them to be independent readers, and how much they enjoy reading.