The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and other leaders have established a culture in which every person is valued and respected. You know the pupils and their families well, which enables you to provide targeted and specific support when required. You are committed to ensuring that the school is a great place to learn for your pupils. You have provided diligent and determined leadership. Standards at the end of key stage 2 in 2016 had declined. You rightly focused your attention on the effectiveness of the teaching of both reading and mathematics. This is because the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in Year 6 was well below the national average. Your systematic and analytical approach to identifying school development priorities has ensured that all groups of pupils now make at least the progress that the school expects. The proportion of pupils across the school attaining the expected standard is increasing, as is the proportion reaching higher standards. The effectiveness of teaching has improved, particularly in reading and mathematics. Teachers question pupils well to probe their understanding and move their learning on. They create effective opportunities to deepen pupils’ learning and develop their skills. The governors have, rightly, challenged you to ensure that improvement takes place so that pupils make the progress they should from their starting points. Pupils’ achievement in writing was identified as an area for improvement at the previous inspection. More pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are attaining well in writing. Pupils’ handwriting and spelling have improved. Ensuring that the most able pupils are challenged in lessons was also identified as an area for improvement. These pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. However, the most able are not sufficiently well-challenged in some of the foundation subjects. Leaders have adapted the school’s assessment procedures in reading, writing and mathematics. Staff now accurately identify strengths and areas for improvement. Teachers use the assessment information well to identify gaps in learning and plan appropriate work to move pupils’ learning on. Leaders and teachers have started to assess pupils’ progress in other subjects, such as science and religious education. However, the school has not yet developed assessment procedures for the other subjects. Persistent absence of those pupils entitled to free school meals and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities has been high. Leaders have taken effective action to increase the attendance of these groups. The family liaison outreach worker provides effective support and assistance to many families, to ensure that pupils are in school and learning. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team ensures that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. You keep detailed records and carefully track every staff concern and any involvement with outside agencies. Governors review your processes regularly to check that they are effective. They believe that safeguarding is ‘everybody’s responsibility’. Pupils feel safe and say that bullying is rare. Parents are satisfied with how the school cares for their children. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, particularly when using the internet. Pupils behave sensibly around the school and in lessons. They are supervised well during break and lunchtimes, when they play happily. Staff who work in the breakfast club and after-school club provide effective provision and look after the pupils well. Staff receive regular, useful training in safeguarding and a noticeboard in the staffroom displays up-to-date information to refer to. They discuss pupils’ safety in weekly staff meetings and leaders take swift action to follow up on any concerns raised by staff. Governors and staff have received training on keeping pupils safe from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Leaders work effectively with external agencies when needed. They carry out an annual audit of safeguarding and governors monitor any recommendations to improve the school’s practice carefully. Inspection findings We discussed the lines of enquiry together and agreed to focus on the following aspects: the effectiveness of leaders in creating a strong culture of safeguarding across the school to keep pupils safe; how well leaders have improved teaching so that the most able are sufficiently challenged; how effectively leaders ensure that pupils make the progress they should, particularly in reading and mathematics; how well the curriculum prepares pupils for their next steps in education and for life in modern Britain; and how well leaders have reduced persistent absence. Teachers have had high-quality training and support from the local authority and from leaders in the school. This has improved teaching, particularly in reading and in mathematics. The most able are now more challenged in lessons, as teachers plan more precisely for them. Pupils are regularly given opportunities to deepen their understanding and apply learning in different contexts. The most able are making good progress. For example, in a Year 6 reading lesson, the most able pupils found evidence to justify their opinions about different characters in the class text ‘Bubble Boy’. In a Year 3 mathematics lesson, the most able used their reasoning skills to find out if a statement was true or false. This is leading to a greater proportion of pupils achieving higher standards across the school. Although the most able are challenged in reading, writing and mathematics, further work is needed to ensure that they are sufficiently challenged in the other subjects. The majority of pupils now make the progress that the school expects in reading, writing and mathematics. There is no evidence that a dip in pupils’ achievement at the end of key stage 2 in 2016 is symptomatic of a decline. Leaders and governors monitor the progress of groups rigorously in order to identify areas needing improvement. As a result, quick and effective action is taken to address identified issues. Disadvantaged pupils make good progress across the school and differences are being diminished. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. As a result, most are making good progress from their starting points. For example, pupils in Year 2 with low starting points are now writing accurate sentences and using appropriate punctuation. Boys are also making good progress, which has led to a greater proportion of them attaining the expected standards. For example, boys are reading more complex books well, due to the introduction of whole-class texts and reading sessions. Leaders’ actions have led to improvements in the teaching of phonics. Consequently, this year’s results are closer to those seen nationally.