The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Your appointment has heralded a time of change for the school. Leaders have examined the quality of teaching and learning in detail. You have used this insight to bring about change where you identified that improvements needed to be made. The impact of these actions is now evident. Leaders have raised expectations of what all pupils, including the youngest, can achieve. Staff support this vision to vigorously promote the best education for the pupils. Parents and carers recognise that improvements have been made and are firmly supportive of the leadership and staff of the school. Throughout this process, the best interests of the pupils have been at the heart of your decision making. Leaders have ensured that pastoral support remains a strength of the school. Pupils have been involved in naming the ‘Friendship Express’, an area where pupils can receive additional support over the lunchtime period. Staff have identified pupils who would benefit from additional support and nurture groups have been established. Older pupils are keen to help younger pupils on the playground. They enjoy being ‘Lunchtime Leaders’ and organising games for them. They understand what it is to be a good role model. There have been significant changes in the teaching staff since the last inspection. Leaders have ensured that high-quality training has been provided for all staff. Leaders have checked to see that this has been effective. You are beginning to build an effective leadership team and all leaders, including governors, are better aware of their roles and responsibilities. At the time of the previous inspection, you were asked to ensure that pupils had sufficient opportunities to research topics independently. This is now evident in classroom practice. Pupils use computers to find out information about the impact of the volcanic eruptions on Pompeii. They describe what they have found out enthusiastically. Younger pupils research the lives of Roman soldiers and use what they have found out to write an informative report. Some pupils continue their research at home as part of their homework tasks. Pupils use their research to write in a range of genres, including biographies and diaries. However, they do not all present these as well as they might. The areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection focused on ensuring that pupils used their knowledge of the sounds that letters make in spelling words. Leaders have organised comprehensive and ongoing training to improve the teaching of phonics. They check regularly to ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently high across the school. Pupils are now more responsible for checking and improving their work and their spelling is more accurate. However, pupils in key stage 1 do not yet have sufficient opportunities to use these writing skills more widely. A new approach to the teaching of mathematics is becoming embedded. Pupils use a range of apparatus to help them to explore addition and subtraction problems in depth. They are able to explain the reasons why they have reached their answers when solving problems. Pupils enjoy the challenge. Parents that I spoke with and who responded to the online survey said that their children were well motivated by the teaching and learning. Leaders have sought ways to ensure that the school provides a broad range of learning. Pupils have the opportunity to learn to play the violin and develop their musicianship through playing together. High-quality artwork, such as explorations of the work of Van Gogh or creations of Aztec masks, is on display around the school. Pupils use historical sources well and can write from different points of view in newspaper reports. Opportunities to work with the wider community, such as in a ‘Stargazing evening’ or by designing a banner for the local railway station, provide pupils with broader educational experiences. However, the curriculum does not yet fully allow all aspects of pupils’ knowledge and understanding to be developed. Safeguarding is effective. Leaders have worked assiduously to ensure that the safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Leaders have established systems so that concerns are recorded systematically and there are clear lines of communication in the school. Leaders have worked productively with external agencies to ensure that beneficial support is in place for the most vulnerable pupils. They have been unafraid to raise concerns and have checked to ensure that these are acted upon. Comprehensive systems for checking staff are in place. Staff training is up to date.