The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and your team share a strong sense of moral purpose in your commitment to achieve the very best for all pupils and create a vibrant learning community where everyone is happy, safe and learning. This is underpinned by an ethos of high expectation where all teachers contribute to a culture of ongoing improvement. You have decisively addressed areas for improvement from the previous inspection. For example, through highly effective work in mathematics, pupils have challenging opportunities to apply their skills in real-life situations. You have strengthened whole-school leadership by building a strong team of leaders across different phases and subjects. These leaders continually monitor pupils’ progress and share good practice to drive improvement. As a result of effective teaching, high expectations and rigorous systems, pupils make strong progress throughout their time in Seaton Delaval First School. You, senior leaders and governors know the school well. Teaching and learning are kept continually under the spotlight through rigorous monitoring. Leaders are empowered to take full responsibility for their area of the school’s provision, which has brought a fresh focus and energy to improving teaching and learning. You and your teachers have responded diligently to the increased demands of the new national curriculum and associated assessment tasks. As a result, at key stage 1 in 2016, pupils achieved outcomes that were above those seen nationally, especially in mathematics and reading. You have recognised, however, that the proportion of higher-attaining pupils working at greater depth, particularly in writing, needs to increase and action is already underway to address this. However, further work is required to ensure that this group of pupils make even better progress so that a higher proportion reach greater depth. Children in the early years are increasingly making strong progress from starting points that are below those expected for their age when they begin Nursery. However, the proportion reaching a good level of development by the end of Reception is still below the 2016 national average. Pupils’ progress is closely tracked and reviewed on a regular basis and summaries of progress are shared with governors. Regular moderation within school and with external partners lends an accuracy to school tracking information. Leaders and teachers know their pupils very well and progress reviews inform future improvement activities and interventions to support underachieving pupils. Interventions are closely monitored and operate on a fluid and flexible basis, and you and your teachers are careful to ensure that there is always a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Performance management procedures are extremely rigorous and individual targets are closely aligned to whole-school targets. Professional development opportunities are highly valued by staff and used to continually support pupil progress. Staff morale is high and all spoken to feel valued by you and the governing body. You have an experienced and committed team of governors who share a passionate commitment to the school. The governing body is led by two highly skilled chairs who work extremely well together and bring complementary knowledge and understanding to support the work of the school. Governors regularly review current progress to check the impact of teaching, new initiatives and additional funding. They are mindful of their safeguarding responsibilities and receive up-to-date training. Both chairs are aware that governor training is crucial and that further support is needed to continue to develop individual governors’ skills. The governing body has taken robust action to ensure that pupils in Seaton Delaval First School receive the best teaching experiences possible. As both chairs say, ‘We are not prepared to accept underperformance from anyone.’ Your team’s commitment to pupils’ academic development is matched in their commitment to pupils’ wider personal and social development. Pupils behave in an extremely positive way and show great care and concern for each other. This reflects you and your teachers’ high standards and expectations. Pupils understand that good behaviour is more than following rules; they see that it is about positive attitudes and having high aspirations for their futures. You work extremely well with outside agencies to provide appropriate support and guidance for the most vulnerable pupils that come to your school and their families.