The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and your staff know your pupils very well. You closely monitor pupils’ attainment, to ensure that the pupils make the progress that they should in their learning. You quickly identify where pupils may require further support to secure good progress. This support helps most pupils, including the disadvantaged pupils, to make at least the progress that they should in reading, writing and mathematics. You and your leaders have an accurate view of the quality of the school’s provision. You celebrate your pupils’ success, but also identify those areas where pupils do not attain as highly as they could. For example, you have identified that too few pupils attained a greater depth in their learning in reading, writing and mathematics in 2016. You have been quick to resolve this. You have ensured that, as part of the management of their performance, all teachers have a target focused on increasing the proportion of pupils attaining greater depth in their learning. Leaders at all levels have worked closely with local schools to check that the teaching your pupils receive provides them with effective opportunities to develop this higher level of understanding. This has led to an increased proportion of current pupils in Year 2 now being on track to attain greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics. You have ensured that all staff focus on developing pupils’ use of phonics skills in their reading. This is in response to the decline in the proportion of Year 1 pupils who attained the expected standard in the phonics screening check in 2016. You have provided staff with training to ensure that the teaching of phonics is more effective. Because of this, an increased proportion of current pupils in Year 1 are on track to attain the expected standard in phonics this academic year. At the last inspection, inspectors asked you to increase the proportion of boys who make at least the progress that they should in writing. You have reviewed the curriculum, to ensure that the topics pupils study provides sufficient interest for the boys. For example, pupils have recently been completing pieces of extended writing about castles and dragons. The pupils who read me their written pieces describing a green dragon had produced vibrant descriptions, using a wide range of imaginative words. You have also ensured that there are books available that appeal to the interest of boys. As a result, the proportion of boys who attained at least the expected standard in writing in 2016 was above the national average. You have also taken wide-ranging actions to increase pupils’ attendance at the school, in response to the findings of the inspectors at the previous inspection. You have introduced rewards to encourage pupils to attend more regularly. For example, each class competes to achieve the highest weekly attendance, so that they have Angus the Attendance Bear in their classroom during the following week. You have also taken robust action to impress upon all parents the need to ensure that their children attend school regularly. You have done this by highlighting how pupils who attend regularly can attain more highly in their learning. These actions have led to an improvement in pupils’ attendance, including the disadvantaged pupils. You recognise that there is still work to do to ensure that all pupils attend regularly. Leaders at all levels monitor the quality of teaching closely, by visiting lessons regularly and by checking pupils’ books. You provide effective support for those teachers whose teaching does not meet your high standards. You also share with staff any examples of effective classroom practice that you see. You encourage teachers and teaching assistants to share best practice with each other. Staff receive wide-ranging training, provided by the local authority and by work with other local schools, including Eastlands Junior School, with which you have recently formed a collaboration. This training enables your teachers to learn from, and help develop, the practice of colleagues from other schools. Working with other schools also ensures that your teachers’ assessment of the pupils’ learning is accurate. This helps teachers to identify precisely when pupils require further support to make good progress in their learning. You have ensured that the pupils have a secure understanding of the need to respect all people, including those who are of a different race, religion or culture. You encourage pupils to support each other. For example, Year 2 pupils provide support for younger pupils. At lunchtime, pupils from different year groups serve lunch to other pupils. Through this approach, you and your teachers have created a culture of respect among all members of the school community, and have encouraged positive relationships between pupils. The pupils that I spoke to said that behaviour is good, and that incidents of bullying are rare. They said that on those occasions when bullying does occur, or when pupils do misbehave, staff 2 respond effectively. Parents agree that you manage pupils’ behaviour well. The governing body is ambitious for the school, and is committed to securing the best provision for pupils. The governors offer appropriate levels of challenge and support for all leaders. Governors meet with leaders at all levels, visit lessons, and speak with pupils. They visit the school regularly to check on pupils’ attendance, behaviour and attainment. The governors have undertaken a review of their own skills to ensure that their support for leaders is effective. Safeguarding is effective. You have created an open culture in which all staff carefully monitor pupils’ wellbeing, and report any concerns that they may have. Senior leaders work closely with parents and with local agencies when they have a concern about a pupil. Senior leaders are tenacious in ensuring that the pupils receive appropriate support. You and your leaders have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and that your safeguarding records are detailed and of high quality. You and your leaders ensure that staff receive regular safeguarding training. This includes twice-weekly updates, where staff receive information about any current safeguarding concerns, including any issues within the local community. As a result, staff understand their responsibility to keep pupils safe. The pupils told me that they feel confident that they can go to staff if they have a concern and that these staff will listen to them and help them. All of the pupils that I met said that they feel safe at the school. All of the parents who expressed an opinion, either through Parent View or in person, agreed that their child is safe and happy at the school. Inspection findings The school’s performance information and pupils’ books indicate that increased proportions of pupils in Year 2 are on track to attain greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics this academic year. This is due to the close support that the teachers and teaching assistants provide pupils to secure their understanding. Senior leaders use additional government funding well to support the disadvantaged pupils in their learning, and in attending school. As a result, the attendance of disadvantaged pupils is now in line with the national level for all pupils. Greater proportions of disadvantaged pupils in Year 2 are on track to attain greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics. The leader who is responsible for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities ensures that these pupils receive effective support for their learning. She ensures that the teaching assistants receive regular training and that they work closely with the classroom teachers to support these pupils. Increased proportions of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are working towards attaining the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics this academic year. An increased proportion of current Year 1 pupils are on track to attain the 3 expected standard in the phonics screening check this year, when compared with pupils’ attainment in 2016. This is due to the focused training that leaders have provided for improving the teaching of phonics. The early years leader works closely with teachers and other adults to ensure that children complete activities that meet their individual needs. As a result, children make good progress in their learning, from what are often belowaverage starting points. In 2016, the proportion of children who attained the expected level at the end of the Reception Year was in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils who are absent from the school, including those who are regularly absent, is reducing. However, overall absence remains above the national average, including the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from the school. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: teachers throughout the school build on the strategies already in place to increase the proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, who attain greater depth in their learning in reading, writing and mathematics the proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, who are absent from school, particularly those who are regularly absent, continues to reduce, to be at least in line with national levels. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Nottinghamshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Simon Hollingsworth Her Majesty’s Inspector 4 Information about the inspection During the inspection, I met with you and the head of school. I also met with subject leaders, other staff, pupils, and six governors, including the chair of the governing body. I observed teaching in all year groups. I visited these lessons with you in your role as executive headteacher. I observed pupils’ behaviour at break and lunchtime, during which time I spoke with pupils. I met with some parents at the beginning of the school day and took into account the 17 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. I also took into account the 11 responses to a questionnaire for staff. I examined a range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding, attendance, the school’s use of additional government funding, pupils’ attainment, and governance. I took into account the school’s self-evaluation and its improvement plan. I scrutinised the school’s single central record and recruitment procedures. I gave oral feedback to you, senior leaders and members of the governing body.