Exning is a school that has got the balance right. Leaders focus on academic excellence. They also make sure pupils develop into happy, healthy and wellrounded young citizens. The school is welcoming and inclusive. Leaders and staff go out of their way to ensure that pupils and their parents and carers feel ‘at home’. The school is a calm and orderly place, where pupils can concentrate and are able to learn. Pupils behave exceptionally well throughout the school. They have excellent attitudes to learning and are keen to know more. This has a marked impact on how well the curriculum is taught and how well pupils learn. Pupils develop deep knowledge of a wide range of subjects because the curriculum is challenging and well thought through. Staff routinely think of ways to bring subjects to life and to capture pupils’ interest. For example, in history, virtual reality headsets ‘take’ pupils to museums or enable them to have ‘first-hand’ experiences. Pupils developed a deeper appreciation of the conditions faced by soldiers in the First World War after spending time in the ‘trenches’. Pupils feel safe at Exning. Bullying is something that happens rarely. Staff are alert to it and deal with incidents promptly.