The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. You have taken effective steps to share leadership responsibilities across your team and secured a collective understanding of the improvements needed. You pride yourself on leading a school that is nurturing and inclusive for all members of the community, supported by staff and governors. Pupils’ progress and well-being are at the heart of all your decisions. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning because their opinions and ideas are valued. You regularly hold events to keep parents informed about their child’s learning, such as the phonics workshops held on the day of the inspection. In the survey, and during informal discussions, parents and carers overwhelmingly agreed that the school is welcoming; some parents requested that communication between the school and home be improved. Pupils report that they enjoy their lessons as teachers make them interesting. Governors know the school well and are committed to driving improvement. Their visits to the school are well focused on the impact of actions taken to meet school development priorities. They have a secure understanding of how funds are allocated and monitor the impact of spending choices on pupils’ outcomes. The previous inspection report recommended that the school should improve procedures for checking pupils’ progress. You have successfully reviewed and updated school assessment procedures to enable leaders to use data effectively to inform their areas for school improvement and hold teachers to account. Your assessment system provides precise information and teachers are using it increasingly well to inform their planning. However, in some cases, assessment information, including questioning, is not used effectively enough to adapt the lesson in order to maximise pupils’ progress. In addition, the previous inspection report recommended that the school should improve teaching so that teachers always expect enough of the most able pupils, especially in mathematics. New systems have been implemented for the teaching of mathematics and are having a positive impact on the quality of the mathematical language used by pupils. They are able to articulate their ideas well and make reference to previous learning. Pupils clearly enjoy their learning and leaders have made sure that teachers value pupils’ contributions to lessons and praise them constructively. Pupils focus well in lessons and are interested in their learning. Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge, consider the interests of pupils when planning their lessons and provide engaging activities. However, on occasion, teaching assistants are not deployed effectively to maximise pupils’ learning. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Visitors to the school are provided with clear and precise information regarding safeguarding procedures. Safeguarding arrangements are clear and the staff team is regularly kept up to date with any changes to policy. Staff understand the expectations of them in regard to keeping children safe and adhere to these responsibilities well. Pupils are kept informed about what to do if they have any worries regarding their safety, or that of others, by displays and posters around the school. Pupils are regularly reminded about how to keep themselves safe and they told me that they are confident to report any concerns to teachers. Inspection findings A key line of enquiry for the inspection was to evaluate the procedures for monitoring pupils’ attendance, as absence had risen in the academic year 2016/17. Leaders made attendance a school priority and strengthened the policy, resulting in the implementation of robust procedures. Absence is carefully monitored and action is taken to work with families of those children whose levels of absence causes concern. As a result, the current attendance figures show an improvement on the same period last year and a reduction in persistent absence. The second line of enquiry was the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. This was because the school’s data showed that this group of pupils did not perform well at the end of key stage 1 when compared to pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.