The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. In fact, the school has continued to improve. Currently, the permanent headteacher is on maternity leave and you are leading the school as acting headteacher until the summer term 2017. You are doing a good job. You stay in close contact with the permanent headteacher and together you have an accurate view of the school’s work and performance. You are quick to recognise and celebrate successes but are also alert to areas where further improvements can be made. As a result, your plans for the future development of the school are well informed, realistic and ambitious. The areas for improvement identified by the previous inspection have been tackled with success. However, in doing so, you and other leaders have managed to raise everyone’s expectations even higher. Consequently, you realise that, while academic standards over time have been above average, the most able pupils could do even better, especially in mathematics. You have plans in place to make this happen. For a small school, there is a lot going on and the school has many strengths. Teaching is effective and leadership is strong. Furthermore, the curriculum is packed full of interesting and worthwhile activities that fuel pupils’ curiosity, introduce them to new experiences and prompt them to work hard and do their best. The sheer variety of activities, quality of teaching and care provided help pupils to grow in confidence, feel safe and develop their abilities, skills and interests. You are mindful of the school’s traditions, while also making sure that new ideas and innovation can thrive if this results in improvements to pupils’ education. You make sure that teachers work with staff from other schools and attend regular training on order to keep up to date with the most effective practice. Within school, staff have the opportunity to watch one another at work and everyone is expected to take on a leadership role of some sort. Staff understand your expectations, fulfil their roles well and report that Eckington School is a great place to work. Pupils behave very well. They are attentive in class, cooperative on the playground and have a voice in shaping aspects of school life. Attendance rates have risen as unnecessary absence has reduced and communication between home and school has improved. Even so, a small number of pupils still have high levels of absence. Pupils and parents, in their responses to inspection questionnaires and in their comments to me during the inspection, expressed positive views about the school. They drew particular attention to the school’s values, standards and leadership. Inspection evidence supports these positive views. Safeguarding is effective. The school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe are fit for purpose. Checks on staff and visitors are carried out properly and records are up to date. Staff in the school, including those who might be visiting or on a student placement, demonstrate a clear understanding of what to do should they have a concern about a child’s safety. From time to time, staff have had cause to register concerns and, when this has happened, records show that all the proper processes have been followed. Pupils are taught about how to manage everyday risks, such as crossing the road or using the internet. There is a pupil-led e-safety council which has organised poster competitions to alert pupils to ways to stay safe online. ‘Hector the Protector’, a dolphin icon, floats on the school’s computer screens and reminds pupils what to do in certain online situations. Pupils report that they feel safe in school and say that if any unkind or rough behaviour happens then it is stopped by the teachers. The school site is secure and well maintained and supervision arrangements at break times and the beginning and end of the school day work well. Staff on playground duty wear brightly coloured jackets to make them stand out so pupils can spot them quickly if they need help. Information about pupils with medical needs is shared with staff and there is clear written guidance about what staff need to know and do. First-aid treatment is readily available when needed and staff have received appropriate training.