The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. When you took up post as headteacher in September 2016 you hit the ground running. You quickly formed an effective partnership with the deputy headteacher, raised everyone’s expectations and began improving each phase of the school. Together, you have developed effective systems to monitor the quality of provision and to track pupils’ progress. You ensure all members of staff are held to account for the progress pupils make from their different starting points. Where teaching was weak you have taken decisive action. As a result, pupils receive a good standard of education. Parents, staff and pupils recognise this and, in turn, are fully on board with the direction the school is taking. You, your staff and the governors all display a passionate commitment to meeting the needs of the pupils. Close to half of your pupils are eligible for the pupil premium and around a quarter speak English as an additional language. The makeup of your community is changing rapidly and includes a growing number of different ethnic groups, including a sizable Gypsy, Roma, Traveller community. One result of this is that an increasing proportion of pupils join or leave the school during key stages. You are adapting well to these challenges. For example, your staff and governors are increasingly representative of the different cultural groups you serve. The school does much to help younger children quickly acquire language and the curriculum effectively promotes children’s rights and an understanding of British values. Aspirations are high for every pupil and this is typified through the ‘bright futures’ initiative in which different careers are highlighted and former pupils visit the school to share their positive journeys into adulthood. Since the last inspection, much has been done to improve the start children make when they enter the school in the Nursery or Reception classes. Many children enter the school with relatively low starting points and skills below those expected for their age. Your classrooms are outdoor area are well resourced and teachers and other adults place a stronger emphasis on teaching early reading, writing and number skills from the very start. In the last inspection report, leaders were asked to boost the progress children made in acquiring reading skills. Since then the school has firmly established its preferred approach to teaching phonics. Teachers are well trained and teach with energy and purpose to ensure that children quickly acquire the sounds that letters and groups of letters make. These skills are then reinforced when children choose what to do for themselves because activities are well designed and encourage children to read and write. Leaders have improved the rigour of assessment so that teaching more precisely addresses gaps in children’s knowledge and skills. As a result, children make good progress in the early years and outcomes have improved to match those seen nationally. Thoughtful arrangements are in place to support children’s transition into Year 1. The proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in the Year 1 national phonics screening check has risen to be in line with the national average. Progress continues to be good across key stage 1 and by the end of Year 2 the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with that seen nationally. However, published performance data shows that progress rates across key stage 2 have been no better than average in recent years. In part, this is explained by the increase in pupils joining the school during the key stage, including some who speak little or no English when they arrive. However, you accept that the quality of teaching has not been consistently strong enough and that some disadvantaged pupils and some of the most able pupils have not made as much progress as they should. Safeguarding is effective. The safeguarding and care of pupils has a high priority at St Cuthbert’s RC Primary School. You have ensured that the school site is secure and that thorough checks are made on all adults who work in or visit the school to work with children. You provide your staff with regular and wide-ranging training so that they fully understand their role in keeping children safe. You maintain detailed records of good quality and have good arrangements in place to brief your staff with pertinent information. Senior leaders are well supported by the school’s parent support adviser who has ‘the ear of the community’ and together you take effective action to protect children from harm. When necessary, you work closely with external agencies and feel well supported with advice and guidance from the local authority children’s hub. You and your governors reflect upon and learn from the child protection cases you manage, ensuring safeguarding arrangements are continually improving.