The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. The recent restructuring of the leadership team, involving the appointment of a skilled deputy headteacher, has strengthened leadership. Governors make frequent visits to the school. They talk to pupils and staff to evaluate the impact of the school’s policies on everyday practice. Governors ask pertinent questions of leaders, both in formal governing body meetings and during visits to the school. They share your accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas that require further work. You have a clear vision for the school which is shared by the deputy headteacher and governors. It is clear to see that strong, collective leadership is providing the capacity for the school to improve still further. You are determined to provide the best for all pupils at Barns Green. You explained how you have strengthened the system for checking the progress of pupils. This is helping you and your teachers to have a firm grasp on how well pupils are learning. Pupils who are in danger of falling behind, or those who need extra help, are supported well. Pupils are proud of their impressive new building. Older pupils told me that they liked being with the younger pupils, helping them at playtime now that everyone is on one site. Pupils enjoy school. They work cooperatively together and I frequently saw pupils helping each other in class. One Year 5 pupil told me, ‘Everyone is at different stages, it does not matter what year you are in, you get work that challenges you to do better’. It was a pleasure to hear pupils talking so confidently about their learning, how they had improved their writing and how their teachers help them to understand something when they are stuck. You explained how you are encouraging pupils to enjoy reading. You have successfully promoted reading around the school. During the day, I saw how well pupils are using the bright and inviting library. Several pupils I spoke to were keen to tell me about the books they enjoy. Pupils benefit from the rich curriculum which the school provides. Topics are enhanced by visits to the local area and further afield, including a residential visit to the Isle of Wight. Sport has a high profile in the school and pupils are proud of their sporting successes. Most parents are supportive of you and your staff. There are, however, some parents who have concerns about the work of the school. You have done much in partnership with governors to open channels of communication with parents. For example, you held a meeting for parents following the 2016 results, held reading and mathematics workshops for parents and introduced a Friday ‘drop in’, where parents can talk to teachers and the school’s leaders. As a result, there are many opportunities for parents to discuss any concerns with staff. However, you know you need to do more to make sure that parents know about the good work of the school, so that they can all develop trust and confidence in what it provides. The strengths in the school identified in the previous inspection report have been maintained. You and your team have worked determinedly to improve writing since the school was last inspected. Although the writing results in 2016 were disappointing, inspection findings showed that pupils currently in the school are making good progress in writing. You identified correctly that teachers lacked confidence in their ability to assess writing, with the higher expectations of the new curriculum. As a result, you have worked successfully with other schools in the Weald Family of Schools (nine local schools), as well as with other external support, to improve teachers’ accuracy in assessing writing. A scrutiny of writing across the school showed that pupils now develop good writing skills, write with increasing fluency and use their secure phonic knowledge to spell increasingly accurately. You have also focused on improving pupils’ handwriting and this is paying dividends. Many pupils now write neatly and can concentrate on the content of their writing, rather than being slowed down by poor handwriting skills. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. Staff receive annual training and frequent updates to make sure they know the most recent information. Most parents who expressed an opinion think that the school is a safe place to be.