The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. The school is continuing to improve. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of their Reception Year has risen over the past three years and was above the national average in 2016. In the same year, all Year 1 pupils met the required standard in their phonics test. By the end of key stage 2, a greater proportion of your pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics than in other schools nationally. You have recently increased the leadership capacity at the school. You are ably supported by your deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator in your drive to continue to improve the school. Together, you all lead the school well. You have ensured that staff changes and times of unplanned absences have not disrupted the learning opportunities for pupils. You have also gained the absolute support of your staff who relish being part of a team that shares a common goal to ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to achieve their best. Since the previous inspection, you and your governing body have taken on the management of the on-site nursery in order to ensure its future stability. This exemplifies your belief that the school is at the heart of your community. Pupils told me how much they enjoy coming to school. The positive relationships between staff and pupils are evident in every classroom. This is a school where every pupil is known as an individual, not only because the school is small, but because of the values that underpin everything you do. Pupils are taught British values and are encouraged to develop their own ‘values for life’, such as compassion and forgiveness. The school is a harmonious place where staff and pupils listen to each other and embrace each other’s differences. Older pupils provide support for younger ones by acting as ‘peer mediators’ to help them resolve minor concerns or issues at break and lunchtimes. Pupils say that helping others, either with their learning or socially, ‘makes you feel good inside’. Pupils want to do well and the pride they take in their learning is clear from their well-presented workbooks and their positive behaviour in lessons. Pupils welcomed me as a visitor to their school and were keen to talk about their learning and what it was like to be a pupil at Great Paxton. Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were overwhelmingly supportive of the school, agreeing that their children are happy and well looked after. Since the previous inspection, you have increased the opportunities that pupils have to write at length as part of your drive to raise attainment in writing. This resulted in nearly a quarter of your Year 6 pupils reaching the higher standard in their national tests in 2016. The feedback that teachers give to pupils, especially in mathematics and writing, is increasingly effective in helping them to move their learning on quickly. Your teachers have a clear philosophy that pupils write best from experience and so they work hard to provide pupils with activities that stimulate their imaginations. This leads to some unusual experiences that your pupils have thoroughly enjoyed. For example, in order to develop understanding of the secrecy of diary writing, your pupils came to school in their pyjamas and wrote underneath duvets. Pupils also get many opportunities to share and celebrate their writing with parents. Your ‘friendship forest’ makes the perfect setting for pupils to read their stories and their poetry to their parents. In early years, writing clearly has a much higher profile, with examples of the children’s work displayed around the classroom as well as featuring in their learning journals. Your provision for the small number of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, or for those pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding, is well tailored to meet their individual needs. Because of this bespoke support, both these groups of pupils make good progress from their starting points. Safeguarding is effective. You ensure that staff are well informed and trained about new safeguarding guidance through regular training and updates. Staff understand their responsibilities and know what to do if they have any concerns. Pupils who spoke to me during the inspection said that they feel safe. Parents overwhelmingly agree that their children are kept safe in the school.