The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. King’s School is a small secondary school which caters for pupils aged between 11 and 18 years. It serves the military communities of Gütersloh, Paderborn and Bielefeld. Almost all pupils are from military families, with the remainder from civilian families or from German families in the locality. A very small number of students have special educational needs. Following planned changes to military deployment in the area, the school is due to close in the summer of 2019. Since your appointment as headteacher in January 2017, you have worked hard to build on the strengths of the school. You have not shied away from important improvements to teaching and leadership. For example, you have rightly made changes to strengthen the accountability of staff for pupils’ well-being and achievement. Despite the planned closure of the school, you are determined to provide the best you can for every pupil. Pupils who spoke to me said that they enjoy their lessons and get on well with staff and other pupils. This is a welcoming and friendly community, where pupils behave well and are proud to be a part of the school. At the previous inspection of the school, leaders were asked to improve the achievement of the most able pupils. You have tackled this by increasing the level of challenge across the curriculum for all pupils, including those in key stage 3. In particular, you have ensured an emphasis on the quality of pupils’ writing. Many pupils write confidently at length and can express their ideas clearly and accurately. The most able pupils in key stages 4 and 5 in particular show good skills in evaluation and analysis. In the examinations in 2017, the progress of the most able pupils at the end of key stage 4 rose markedly. Feedback received from examining bodies particularly pinpointed the quality of pupils’ extended writing. Another area for improvement from the previous inspection was to do with students in the sixth form who needed to resit GCSE English or mathematics. Actions to tackle this aspect have been effective. In 2017, the proportion of pupils who gained a pass grade or higher in their resit courses was well above that typically seen in other secondary schools. Lastly, the school was asked to improve the impact of the school governance committee. Again, good progress has been made. The governance committee now meets during the school day so they can see the work of the school at first hand. They have a greatly improved understanding of performance information and of the school’s priorities for development. Governors are also playing an important role in supporting school leaders in the period leading up to the closure of the school. During this short inspection, in addition to considering the priorities for improvement from the previous inspection, we agreed to focus on a small number of other areas. Firstly, we looked at how well leaders are improving pupils’ achievement throughout the school and providing suitable programmes for students studying in the sixth form. Secondly, we agreed to consider how effectively the school is tackling changes to assessment and the curriculum in key stage 3. Lastly, we considered the contribution and impact of leadership, particularly subject leadership, to improving the school. Safeguarding is effective. Safeguarding systems and procedures are effective. Staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and receive regular and up-to-date training. Older students who have responsibility for mentoring younger pupils also receive suitable guidance to support them in this role. Arrangements for managing referrals are well organised and detailed records are kept of actions taken and any involvement with external agencies. The recently formed school governance committee for safeguarding is helping to provide useful scrutiny and challenge. Pupils say that they feel safe in school, although a very small number of pupils, particularly girls, worry that their concerns may not be taken seriously by all staff. However, arrangements to prevent bullying and other unkind behaviour are well organised and effective. Public spaces and social times are calm and pupils manage themselves well. Through the curriculum and in tutorial sessions, pupils are helped to understand risk and learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Attendance is above average. Any instances of persistent absence which may indicate a safeguarding concern are followed up promptly by staff.