The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Leaders have identified the right priorities for improvement. The school improvement plan includes sharp timescales and targets against which governors hold leaders to account. You have written leadership documents that are meticulous in their detail and high in quality. Governors have ensured that the school’s finances are properly managed in delivering the improvement plan. Governors’ business skills help them to challenge your spending decisions appropriately. You have built a very skilled and united senior leadership team of dedicated professionals. The leadership team has effectively addressed the challenge set following the last inspection to share good practice more widely. Subject leaders work alongside teachers and teaching assistants to help them improve their subject knowledge and teaching methods. This means that there is a completely consistent approach to implementing school policies, procedures, teaching and assessment methods. Consistency is a hallmark of this school. There is an experienced, happy and stable staff, with low staff turnover, so teachers and teaching assistants know each other and the pupils and families well. Morale is high. Parents and carers value the fact that the staff are so approachable. Many parents, and even grandparents, told me that they were pupils at this school themselves, and that this school is at the heart of the community. One parent said, ‘The pastoral care shown by all of the staff, from the headteacher to the teachers, teaching assistants and all other staff is second to none.’ Some pupils have social and emotional needs that make it difficult for them to control their behaviour sometimes. The teachers and teaching assistants are skilful in making sure that these pupils are settled, calm and ready for learning. One parent said, ‘This school is very inclusive and should be commended for their patience, humour and perseverance to providing an excellent education for all.’ Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Staff are well trained and know the signs to look out for that would raise concerns. There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders have recently introduced a safeguarding space on the school’s social media platforms that link parents to national guidance about helping their children stay safe online. School computers are available for families if they do not have computers or internet access at home. Senior leaders keep detailed records of notes of meetings for pupils who need extra help and protection. Leaders work closely with partner agencies to ensure that pupils are kept safe. Leaders ask pupils what they think before attending meetings with colleagues from various agencies to make sure that pupils’ wishes and feelings are shared and considered by adults. Leaders have taken effective steps to reduce the numbers of pupils who are persistently absent. Leaders are well trained and understand the risks to absent pupils of criminal exploitation. Leaders are vigilant in ensuring that pupils are kept safe even when they are absent. Inspection findings There are positive and nurturing relationships between adults and children in the early years. A large proportion of children enter Nursery and Reception with speech and language skills that are below the typical expectation for their age. The early years garden is rich with enticing activities that draw children into practising their letters, sounds and numbers when they are playing. Adults are skilful in improving children’s communication, language and literacy skills quickly. The teaching of early reading is good. Governors have invested in additional adults to keep class sizes small, so early readers are given lots of individual help in small phonics and reading groups. The school is consistent in the use of one phonics scheme that is followed systematically. Reading books are well matched to pupils’ phonics skills and knowledge so that pupils are quickly gaining fluency and confidence in reading. English and mathematics leaders have introduced some new approaches to the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics since the last inspection. These new ideas are starting to improve pupils’ achievement. In the 2018 tests, the progress that Year 6 pupils had made across key stage 2 was much better than the progress of other Year 6 pupils nationally.