The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and your leadership team, including the governors, have a strong ambition and determination for the school’s future. Governors are knowledgeable and challenge the leadership of the school effectively. Together, you have achieved a secure and detailed knowledge of the strengths of the school and what needs to be better. This has resulted in sharply focused plans that address next steps for improvement. For example, you rightly identify the need to improve the accuracy of spellings in writing so that boys achieve as well as girls. Consequently, you have introduced strategies to raise boys’ standards. Improvements have begun, but, as leaders agreed, more work is needed. Pupils enjoy learning at school, saying, ‘Teachers make learning fun.’ This was evident in lessons, with pupils showing positive attitudes to their learning and responding quickly to instructions. The vast majority of the parents who spoke to inspectors or who completed Ofsted’s online survey for parents are happy with the work of the school. School leaders have worked hard to develop a wide range of opportunities for pupils, particularly in after-school activities, which include drama, modern foreign languages, dance and a range of sporting activities. A particular strength of the school is its musical activities. Examples include a successful choir, a wide range of instrumental lessons and a range of musical groups, which include wind bands, string groups and a school orchestra. The school is rightly proud of these musical activities and the opportunities they offer to pupils. Safeguarding is effective. Leaders have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Training for all staff is up to date and is regularly reviewed, so that staff are supported in their understanding of current statutory guidance. Clear processes are in place so that staff know how to report any concerns promptly. They say the online system enables them to keep up to date with safeguarding issues. This is supported well by regular meetings to update information. As a result, staff manage pupils’ well-being and safeguard their welfare effectively. School records are detailed and of high quality. Leaders with specific responsibility carefully and swiftly follow up any concerns, and work well with external agencies in order to keep pupils safe. The school’s single central record is maintained well and is regularly checked by the leadership, including governors. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures ensure that all staff have undergone appropriate checks so as to ensure that they are suitable to work in the school. The behaviour of pupils around the school is calm and purposeful. The pupils that inspectors spoke to say they feel safe in the school, and the overwhelming majority of parents agree. Pupils say they understand about different forms of bullying, including online. They say incidents of bullying are rare, but, if they do happen, they know they can talk to a member of staff and it is quickly sorted out. Pupils know how to make sensible choices out of school so they can keep themselves safe. Leaders have developed a strong safeguarding culture at the school where pupils are looked after well. Inspection findings The first key line of enquiry we agreed to explore focused on how successfully leaders have supported teachers to increase rates of progress of lower-attaining pupils, particularly boys, in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 1. This was because in 2016, lower-attaining pupils, including boys, did not make as much progress as girls. Senior leaders have ensured that all pupils are involved in a wide range of reading activities. The teaching of phonics is effective and enables pupils to use their knowledge well when reading words they do not know. By the time pupils reach Year 2, lower-attaining pupils, including boys, are able to read fluently and use a range of strategies to help them. Analysis of work over time shows that pupils, including lower-attaining pupils and boys, quickly improve the fluency of their writing by using a broader range of vocabulary and punctuation. Adult questioning in lessons supports this well, deepening understanding further by probing pupils’ responses. However, not all pupils routinely present their work well, in spite of the school’s high expectations. Persistent inaccuracies in spelling limit the progress of some pupils, particularly boys. Strategies have been introduced to address this and improvements have begun, but, as you agreed, more work is needed to embed the improvements. Teachers routinely check understanding and build on pupils’ prior learning in mathematics. Work in books shows that teachers give opportunities for pupils to practise their learning, which supports their progress well. Teachers’ good subject knowledge enables them to challenge pupils effectively through problem-solving activities. As a result, pupils, including lower-attaining pupils and boys, make strong progress. The second area we agreed to evaluate is how effectively leaders are supporting teachers at key stage 2 in improving rates of progress in writing of middleattaining pupils and pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. In 2016 and 2017, these pupils, including girls and disadvantaged pupils, made less progress in writing than they did in reading and mathematics. Work in pupils’ books, including disadvantaged pupils’, shows that there are many examples of strong progress and high-quality writing. However, you and the subject leader rightly identified that there were significant differences in the achievement between boys and girls in some year groups. Inspectors agreed and saw strong progress over time in girls’ writing. However, some inconsistent use of core skills, more typically in boys’ writing, such as inaccurate spellings, punctuation and neat handwriting is limiting the progress of these pupils. You have established a number of strategies to improve these skills and, though progress is being made, you agreed that further work is needed so that boys can make the progress of which they are capable. Carefully chosen topics, which capture the interest of pupils to write for a real purpose, are used well to develop positive attitudes to writing. Teachers and other adults capitalise on this and use skilful questioning to check pupils’ understanding in lessons. This supports pupils well, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities. As a result, they better understand new learning and make strong progress. Finally, we considered what the school has done to reduce persistent absence for pupils eligible for free school meals and to increase rates of attendance of these pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. This is because disadvantaged pupils have had higher levels of persistent absence than the national average in recent years, and levels of absence for pupils eligible for free school meals and those who have SEN and/or disabilities have been higher than the national average. You and your staff have worked hard since 2016 to improve attendance and to reduce persistent absence. You have taken robust action through an effective range of strategies. These have included giving certificates for positive attendance, entries into a raffle and giving out points, which result in rewards for classes. You have worked closely with families to understand why pupils’ attendance has not been as frequent as it should and have ensured that parents are fully aware of your high expectations. You have liaised with external agencies to support the work of the school. As a result, persistent absence rates have reduced and are now lower than national averages, and attendance rates have increased so that they are better than the national average. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: teaching continues to diminish the differences in achievement in writing between girls and boys by improving accuracy in spellings and punctuation. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Bromley. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely David Lloyd Ofsted Inspector Information about the inspection During the inspection, I met with you, the deputy head of school and other senior leaders, as well as the CEO of the trust, and members of the governing body, including the chair. Inspectors visited lessons with leaders, reviewed work in pupils’ books and listened to pupils read. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and at playtime, and talked with them informally in the playground. Inspectors talked with a range of staff and evaluated a range of documentation including the single central record and other safeguarding procedures and practices. Inspectors considered 273 responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents.