The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have a clear and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Leaders, other staff and governors know and understand these well. All share your high aspirations for all pupils. You work together effectively to continually improve the quality of education for pupils. You have maintained the considerable strengths noted at the last inspection, particularly in terms of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are happy, confident and proud of the school. You ensure that the school’s core values such as respect, compassion and perseverance are regularly reinforced through lessons and assemblies. Pupils said, for example, that they feel ‘privileged to have a headteacher who listens and instils values which makes everyone kind to each other’. Parents and pupils appreciate the warm, caring ‘Bramptons family’, which you have successfully created. Parents hold the school and its staff in high esteem and value how approachable you and the teachers are. You have worked successfully to tackle the areas for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection. Pupils’ handwriting and presentation have improved through the introduction of a whole-school approach to letter formation, which teachers reinforce consistently through their high expectations. Leaders have identified that pupils’ problem-solving skills in mathematics need further development and have started to adapt the curriculum to ensure that this is achieved. However, you agreed that pupils, particularly those in key stage 2, are still being given too much support and guidance on how to tackle these mathematical problems. This means that the proportion of pupils who reach the greater depth in mathematics is not as high as in reading and writing. You have rightly made this a priority on your school development plan. Safeguarding is effective. You have ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. A recent audit of the school’s procedures and practices has resulted in further improvements to the care and protection of pupils. You have explained through the well-planned personal, social and health education curriculum, in language pupils can understand, potential dangers such as female genital mutilation and gang culture. Leaders have also run information evenings for parents to help them to understand potential dangers online and thereby better protect their children. Pupils are confident that staff look after them well. They told me that they feel very safe at school. All of the parents with whom I spoke, and those who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, confirmed that their children feel safe. Pupils reported that there is rarely any bullying. All the required checks on staff are carried out and recorded carefully. Leaders, governors and staff undertake regular and up-to-date training on child protection and safeguarding issues. All staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities to ensure children’s safety and well-being. The files you showed me indicate that staff make prompt referrals when they have any concerns. Leaders are tenacious in seeking and pursuing external support when needed. You and your team take great pride in knowing each pupil and their family well, and this ensures prompt action, support and guidance should the need arise. Inspection findings There have been a lot of changes to leadership and staffing since the last inspection, including your appointment and the appointment of a deputy headteacher and a special education needs coordinator. These appointments have strengthened leadership at the school. Leaders have accountability for the areas which they oversee, and you work together effectively to support wholeschool improvement. The governing body has also changed significantly since the last inspection, including the appointment of a new chair and vice chair of governors. The governing body is committed to developing the school further. The governors have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the school’s development priorities. They understand the importance of raising pupils’ achievement. Governors challenge staff effectively to make sure that they do this. You and other staff keep them well informed with the data they need. You have ensured that there is an effective assessment and tracking system in place. This provides you with a clear analysis of the attainment and progress of each individual pupil and of groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This tracking system now includes foundation subjects as well as English and mathematics. You regularly review pupils’ progress to ensure that any pupil who is falling behind receives timely support to catch up. Teachers have worked with staff in other local schools and the local authority to ensure that their assessments are accurate. Teachers use assessment information to plan learning that takes most pupils on from what they already know and can do. You have ensured that pupils have developed a love of reading and have access to a wide range of books. Pupils find the weekly raffle to win a book motivational in helping them to read widely and often. Pupils make very good progress in reading by the end of Year 6. Teachers provide interesting and stimulating learning opportunities, including maximising the outside space. Teachers and pupils have positive relationships, and pupils willingly follow their teacher’s instructions in lessons. Classrooms are attractive; displays celebrate pupils’ work and provide them with helpful prompts and examples of how to make their work better. Pupils said that they enjoy learning because teachers make work fun and support them to do their best. Pupils also work well together to encourage each other’s learning. You provide effective training for all staff that is linked to whole-school developments. We saw together that all staff are consistent in their application of school systems and policies. This is helping to improve the progress that pupils make during their time at the school. You made developing pupils’ writing a whole-school priority and provided additional training for staff. Teachers make sure that pupils have a clear understanding of the features of different types of writing and of how to plan and organise their work. They consistently emphasise the importance of using correct grammar to pupils, which is helping pupils to improve their writing. In 2017, all higher-attaining pupils achieved the higher standard in writing as a result. The early years provision provides a firm foundation for new children. The vibrant classroom and outside space provide them with exciting learning opportunities. Since the last inspection, the proportion of pupils who achieve a good level of development has risen year on year and is now consistently above the national expectation. Pupils develop good phonic skills and knowledge. Teachers and other staff build on pupils’ existing knowledge. They use stimulating resources and activities. This year’s phonic screening check shows that all pupils reached the expected standard. Pupils are confident and enthusiastic readers and are well prepared for key stage 1. You explained clearly why a minority of pupils’ rates of persistent absence are higher than they should be. This is mainly due to serious medical reasons and pupils whose parents take holidays during term times. Through publishing weekly attendance figures, celebrating good attendance and challenging absences promptly, leaders are taking all possible steps to maximise pupils’ attendance. All pupils whom I spoke with clearly understand the importance of good attendance and find the weekly ‘best class attendance’ certificate motivational in helping them to be in school. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: teachers provide pupils with regular opportunities to tackle problem solving independently, so that more pupils achieve the greater depth in mathematics. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Northamptonshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Sally Smith Her Majesty’s Inspector Information about the inspection During the inspection, I held meetings with you, other senior leaders and governors, including the chair of the governing body. I spoke with parents before school and met with a group of pupils in key stage 2 to talk about their school experience. You and I visited a range of classes, examined pupils’ books and talked with pupils to evaluate the quality of their learning. In addition, I checked the school’s safeguarding arrangements and records, including the single central register (the school’s record of safeguarding recruitment checks on staff). I evaluated the school’s documentation about pupils’ achievement, planning for improvement, attendance and the minutes of meetings of the governing body. I took account of the 18 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and the 17 responses from parents to Ofsted’s free text service. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff or pupils for me to consider.