The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have a firm and sincere conviction that every pupil can, and will, succeed. This vision is captured in the school’s motto of ‘Aspire’, which stresses the need to instil a sense of enterprise, aspiration and independence in pupils, along with ensuring that they make at least good progress and that their self-esteem becomes high. This vision is evident when visitors tour your school, with many displays on corridors showing how staff are teaching pupils the importance of these values. The school is a warm, bright and positive learning environment, where pupils enjoy their learning and understand that they must work hard there to succeed. The very pleasant indoor corridors and classrooms are complemented by many excellent, spacious outdoor spaces that particularly make learning come alive for pupils. For example, children experience the wonder of nature by looking after their own chickens and rabbits, as well as growing many different vegetables and fruits, which they then harvest and sell or use. For example, pupils give their apples to the school cooks, who then use them to make fruit crumble for pupils to enjoy. It is little surprise that Spire’s open space has been awarded Best School in the Chesterfield in Bloom competition. You have thoroughly addressed all the areas for improvement identified by inspectors at the last inspection. This shows that the school is an improving one. Teachers now make very good use of the continuous assessment they make of what pupils can do, to plan learning that will address the gaps in knowledge, skills or understanding that pupils have. As a result, pupils’ progress is good. In addition, middle leaders now play an effective part in monitoring the quality of teaching and the progress that different groups of pupils make. They visit other classrooms to see teaching for themselves and to examine work that pupils have done. They then produce useful reports for senior leaders and for the governing body, setting out the improvements staff are making and the next steps that require attention. Governors analyse these reports and meet regularly with staff to discuss them. They also look at pupils’ work, alongside leaders, to gain a good understanding of the pupils’ progress, and where teachers’ practice needs to be improved further. Because of this work, and the detailed information you give them, governors are well informed. They were able to discuss with me, in a confident manner, the outcomes for different groups of pupils across the school, and in different subjects. Governors’ documentation I looked at during my visit shows they play an effective strategic role in holding you and senior leaders to account, challenging you well wherever necessary, while remembering to acknowledge and congratulate staff for the successes they are achieving. You ensure that your staff work together in shared and consistent ways for the benefit of pupils. Processes for the appraisal of staff are robust, with precise and challenging targets set to improve teachers’ classroom performance. You match this with good opportunities for staff to develop their expertise. Staff who are new to the profession, or who work in less senior roles, and whom I met during my visit, told me that they are well supported and are strongly encouraged to gain further education-related qualifications. A large majority of children who enter the school in the Nursery classes have levels of skills that are below or well below those found typically in children of the same age. Children’s skills in language and communication are particularly low. However, your staff are well aware of this. They therefore waste no opportunity to improve these skills by modelling good communication to each other in front of children, and by continually conversing with the children in a clear, precise manner. They encourage children to express their own ideas, explain clearly in full sentences what they are doing and require children to use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when requesting things. As a result, children quickly settle in and their confidence and language begin to build. By the time they leave the school, good teaching in all year groups mean that pupils have caught up with others nationally in all subjects and their attainment is broadly in line with the expectations for their age. The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, make rapid progress in English because they are given particularly challenging work in reading and writing. As well as ensuring that pupils make good academic progress from their starting points, you and your staff attend to pupils’ well-being very effectively. During my visit, I saw compelling evidence of the work done to support the many pupils whose home circumstances make them vulnerable, or pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, the specialist Bears Nursery unit is staffed by skilled and highly caring staff who ensure excellent, tailored provision for children who attend there. Case files also show, for instance, how leaders have worked closely with families and external agencies to help greatly those pupils who find it difficult to manage their own behaviour.