The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You, your governors and staff work hard as a team to create a caring and welcoming school where children are happy and enjoy their learning. Parents are very supportive of the school and your leadership. They feel that they are listened to and appreciate the extra support and guidance they receive as families. Staff are proud to work at St Chad’s, commenting: ‘There is an amazing team spirit here, creating an environment where our children are cared for, encouraged and given every opportunity to reach their full potential and personal best.’ Indeed, all pupils and parents would recommend St Chad’s to somebody moving in to the area. The school’s Catholic ethos permeates throughout the life of the school. Your motto of ‘sharing, caring and learning together through Christ’ is seen through pupils’ positive interactions with each other, through the mutual respect between pupils and staff and through the tolerance and empathy shown by pupils to those less fortunate than themselves. Pupils talk with compassion and are proud of the charity work they undertake. Pupils raise money for a wide variety of charities, both locally and abroad. Pupils have fundraised for a local children’s hospice, been ‘mini vinnies’ for the St Vincent de Paul charity and walked a mile for Syrian refugees and Save the Children. Leaders carefully plan these activities so that they are meaningful and give pupils opportunities to reflect; for example, the ‘walk a mile’ was undertaken carrying rucksacks, blankets and holding the hand of a younger sibling or pupil to help pupils identify with the plight of refugees. Pupils are taught to be tolerant and welcoming to all, regardless of their differences. This spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is a strength of the school. Governors, senior leaders and staff have taken action to address the areas for improvement since the last inspection. In securing improvements to the quality of teaching across the school, robust procedures for monitoring the quality of teaching over time are now in place. You monitor this through a comprehensive quality assurance schedule. Teaching and learning is triangulated through lesson observations, data, work scrutiny, planning information and ongoing discussions of pupil progress. Staff are ambitious to improve and are willing to be creative in their delivery of the curriculum. A recent development has been the drive for more focused learning outside of the classroom. Subject leaders are building outdoor activities into schemes of work so that pupils will receive a varied and enriched curriculum. In response to improving writing for all pupils, especially for the most able pupils, you rightly focused on engaging pupils with their writing, and this has been effective at all key stages. In 2016, 90% of children in the early years foundation stage met the expected standard in writing. In key stage 1, the vast majority of pupils achieved the expected standard in writing, exceeding national averages. In key stage 2, pupils made good progress in their writing, with high-ability pupils making excellent progress. You and your governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and what needs to be improved further. The school’s self-evaluation is honest and clear and leads to improvement plans which are beginning to show impact in all areas. Governance is a strength. The governing body holds you firmly to account, supports you and is a ‘critical friend’ to your leadership team. The local authority has also been helpful in evaluating the work of the school with you. You have appreciated this support and used it well to help move the school forward. The governors, local authority and archdiocese are all confident in your leadership ability to continue to improve the school. Safeguarding is effective. Safeguarding procedures are thorough and fit for purpose. Safeguarding policies are relevant and understood by all staff. Your recruitment checks are sound and meet the statutory requirements. All staff receive up-to-date training and know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil. Leaders know their pupils very well and liaise very effectively with external agencies to make sure that vulnerable pupils are supported promptly. Pupils report that bullying rarely occurs but, if it does, it is dealt with swiftly and effectively by staff. Pupils trust the adults in school and say that they would talk to them if they had any concerns, worries or if there were any friendship problems.