The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. The school is improving because of the very clear leadership that you and your senior leadership team provide. You, alongside governors and senior leaders, have an accurate understanding of the strengths and priorities for improvement. You and your governors promote a strong conviction that all pupils should achieve well regardless of their circumstances or backgrounds, and this ensures that all pupils have every opportunity to ‘learn, achieve, aspire, succeed’. Such values are instilled in senior and middle leaders and have permeated all staff. Consequently, the vast majority of staff say they are proud to be a part of the school. In such an inclusive environment, staff typically promote high expectations. Good relationships between adults and pupils make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning and well-being. The vast majority of pupils say that they are listened to and feel well supported. When pupils are given opportunities to work together in lessons, they show high levels of engagement, cooperation and respect for each other’s ideas. Pupils are confident and they engage well with visitors. Pupils speak with fondness and enthusiasm about their teachers, and say how approachable and supportive all staff are. Pupils benefit from opportunities to take part in extra-curricular activities, such as sport, drama and music, which play a significant role in developing their confidence. Pupils’ entrepreneurial and charitable skills are also developed through the ‘key fund’ project. This project encourages pupils to work together on a fund-raising idea and then plan, prepare and present it to an independent panel. If successful, groups of pupils organise different events to raise money and subsequently give something back to the local community; for example, care packs for homeless people and donations to the food banks. As a result, pupils’ determination and resilience skills are developed, along with their moral values. A dedicated team of learning mentors have provided effective support to groups of identified pupils, both academically and pastorally. Such support ensures that most pupils successfully move on to the next stage of their education, training or employment. Leaders and governors have ensured that the school has continued to focus on the areas identified for improvement at the previous inspection. As a result, senior and middle leaders have refined the curriculum and skilfully integrated assessment modules to monitor pupils’ progress closely. Consequently, close monitoring of pupils’ progress allows leaders to identify any pupil lagging behind. Leaders use this information to place pupils on an appropriate and personalised support and intervention package. This is allowing the vast majority of current pupils to make stronger gains in their learning. However, some disadvantaged pupils and some pupils in science (both in the past and currently) have not made the same rapid rates of progress as their peers. Leaders and governors acknowledge that this is an urgent priority and are taking effective steps to rectify these differences. Following the last inspection, you were also asked to further improve the quality of teaching by sharing teachers’ skills more widely across the school. The sharing of best practice and developing teachers’ skills is now commonplace and it is an integral part of teachers’ professional development. There is some high-quality teaching in the school. You have increased the rigour with which you check the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Consequently, weaknesses are addressed quickly through departmental and whole-school training sessions. Safeguarding is effective. Leaders and governors have taken an active and rigorous approach towards the safety and welfare of pupils. A culture of safeguarding is evident in all aspects of the school’s work. Leaders carry out the required safeguarding checks on all adults who work with pupils, and staff receive relevant and regular training on safeguarding. Leaders have effective systems in place to monitor all pupils for whom they have concerns. Record-keeping is meticulous and the designated safeguarding leader treats safeguarding concerns with a high degree of professionalism. She rigorously follows these through with referrals to other agencies so that all vulnerable pupils are cared for appropriately.