The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. The school became an academy in 2016 as part of the West Norfolk Academies multi-academy trust. New executive senior leaders have worked relentlessly to stabilise the school after a period of change. Support and leadership expertise from the trust is helping the school to improve further. The trust’s policies and procedures provide a strong and helpful foundation on which school leaders can base further developments and develop consistency. Walpole Cross Keys is a small school which is very much at the heart of the community it serves. Staff know pupils well and are effective in meeting their individual needs. This includes extensive support for their well-being. Parents, staff and pupils, in response to Ofsted’s online questionnaires, report positively about the school. Parents’ free-text responses reflect the views expressed in Parent View, ‘There have been some really positive changes in the last six months.’ While a few parents report concerns about behaviour in the past, parents also acknowledge that leaders are effectively addressing these. Most parents would recommend the school. In response to the questionnaire, staff were overwhelmingly positive about how well the school is led. They are proud to work here. Many report that the school has improved and they feel that they are well supported by leaders. Professional development and training opportunities provided by leaders and the trust are appreciated by all respondents. Pupils also are positive about the school saying, in response to their online questionnaire, that they enjoy school and learning. They also report that behaviour is good, they have plenty of opportunities for physical and emotional health development and that they are taught to respect others. Most would recommend the school to a friend. Governors support and challenge the school effectively. They work closely alongside leaders to check the work of the school and hold senior leaders to account. They understand that high-quality teaching needs to be in place in all classes to improve pupils’ achievement. Governors access training to improve their skills further. Governors are working with leaders to refine their evaluation of the school’s performance in the light of recent improvements. All pupils benefit from strong and supportive relationships with each other and with staff. Clear routines and expectations support learning well. Pupils are not afraid to ‘have a go’ and use mistakes as learning opportunities. They conduct themselves properly in lessons and around the school. Pupils work hard and are keen to do well. Staff plan regular opportunities to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness, such as during an interactive assembly observed with ‘do not judge a book by its cover’ as its theme. Fundamental British values, such as democracy and the rule of law are promoted too. Safeguarding is effective. There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. The leadership team and trust have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Required policies and training for safeguarding and child protection meet requirements. All staff and governors participate in regular training to keep them abreast of local and national developments. Policies are thorough, up to date and regularly reviewed by leaders and governors. Staff know pupils and their families well and are vigilant to any concerns. They know the procedures for reporting these concerns and a senior leader oversees the safeguarding process and paperwork, involving external agencies where appropriate. Pupils say they feel safe, and most parents agree. Pupils report that they know who to talk to if they have any concerns and they are confident that any issues will be dealt with. The checks made on adults working or supporting pupils in school meet requirements and records are appropriate and stored securely. Staff closely monitor arrangements to ensure pupils’ health and safety on the school site. Inspection findings I looked at pupils’ attendance and particularly focused on those pupils who are persistent non-attenders. This is because attendance rates at the school have been below national averages for at least three years. Persistent non-attendance has been variable. Given that good attendance promotes good achievement, I wanted to see what action leaders were taking to make improvements.