The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the inspection of the predecessor school. You are committed to providing children with a good start to their education. Together with the vice principal, you work tirelessly to model the expectations you desire to see across the school. Your strong, determined leadership has halted the decline in the school and rapidly improved the quality of education, ensuring better outcomes for all pupils. You have raised expectations and, through the shared vision, ensure that all staff are aspirational for the school community. Leaders and staff demonstrate a strong moral purpose and a commitment to improving the life chances of the pupils they teach. This was the first visit since the school converted to become an academy in May 2016. Following a period of co-headship, in September 2017 you became the executive principal, working across the infant school and the junior school to which the pupils transfer. A vice principal was appointed at the same time. Leaders have successfully managed several other staffing changes due to periods of maternity leave or resignations from staff. A joint local academy governing board, shared with the junior school, has been established. You have established strong systems and effective procedures, including those for managing teachers’ performance. You challenge underperformance as well as offering highly effective coaching support to enable staff to develop their skills further. The self-evaluation of the school is accurate and honest, identifying the priorities for development. Comprehensive action plans support the drive for improvement. Actions are carefully monitored at regular intervals and the impact evaluated before any additional action is taken. Leaders ensure the sustainability of the improvements made, rather than looking for a ‘quick fix’. The cycle of school improvement is becoming deeply embedded and understood by all. A key aim of the trust is to identify and develop future leaders. Senior leaders do this well. You empower others and support them in developing high-quality leadership skills. Working alongside new leaders, you ensure that they have the same high expectations and know how to support and challenge effectively. Together, you are creating a strong culture of achievement. Pupils are welcoming, polite and eager to share their learning. They get on well together, and behaviour observed throughout the school during the inspection was positive. Pupils say that they are happy in school and have lots of friends. They feel safe and know that adults in school are there to help them. Pupils are motivated by the topics they study and proudly show the stickers they get as rewards. Parents and carers are positive about the school, stating that their children are safe and make good progress, especially with their reading. There is evidence of a strong, harmonious school community both in work and at play. Governance is effective. The comprehensive scheme of delegation ensures that all involved in governance understand the part they play in checking the quality of education in the school. There is a transparency between the trust board, the chief executive officer and the local academy governing board. Through regular meetings and visits to the school, governors seek assurances on behalf of the trustees. The board is led by a knowledgeable chair, who directs other governors effectively. Governors know the school well and are ambitious for its continued development. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Designated safeguarding leaders have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the latest government guidance and know how to implement this to ensure that pupils are safe. They work successfully with a range of professionals and external agencies to give vulnerable children and their families the help and support they need. Leaders are tenacious in following up any concern about a child. All staff are well trained and understand their responsibilities for keeping children safe. They are vigilant and work closely with designated safeguarding leaders when reporting concerns. Highly effective recording systems with a detailed chronology ensure that a comprehensive picture is built up over time. Children causing concern are monitored closely and action taken swiftly where appropriate. Highly effective support from staff ensures that all pupils are nurtured. Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and which medicines and drugs are good for you. The use of the NSPCC resource ‘PANTS’ helps pupils to understand and know how to keep their body safe.