The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Leaders and staff are successful in realising the ambitions of the school which are set out on the school’s website, ‘Partnership and communication are vital to achieve success’. Leaders and staff are successful in forging partnerships with other schools, including Colmore Partnership Teaching School Alliance. You and the deputy headteacher provide effective leadership and have gained the respect and trust of pupils, parents, staff and governors. Leaders and staff have maintained warm and positive relationships with pupils and families. This is an inclusive school where pupils of all abilities achieve well, including those who are disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. The Puffins’ class, which is specially resourced provision for pupils who have cognition and learning difficulties, is well managed and remains effective. Pupils of all abilities across the school achieve well and standards are improving. Assessments and pupils’ work show that, in relation to their starting points, pupils make good progress in phonics, reading, writing and mathematics. However, some of the most able pupils who make good progress in reading do not do as well as they should in writing. There is scope now to improve the quality of pupils’ handwriting and punctuation when they are writing independently. The previous inspection reported some relative weaknesses in the teaching of mathematics. These are no longer evident. Assessments show that standards have improved markedly and consistently for the last two years. Improvements to the teaching of mathematics in all parts of the school are helping pupils to achieve well. You and the staff team have also improved opportunities for pupils to work independently during lessons. This too was an area for improvement at the time of the previous inspection. The school has maintained good teaching in the early years and key stage 1. There are pockets of strong practice and the restructuring of responsibilities to include year coordinators has further enabled teachers to share best practice. One focus for the inspection was how well teachers challenge and extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Our joint lesson observations revealed that teachers and classroom assistants set consistent expectations for work and behaviour. Lessons are well planned and resourced. Pupils are well behaved and attentive to their teachers and support staff. Good use is being made of ‘working walls’ to support pupils’ learning. These visual prompts on display in classrooms help pupils find information, key words in English lessons, or methods of calculation in mathematics. We agreed that teachers could still do more to ensure that pupils’ learning is not distracted by too many drawn-out class discussions. Some pupils find it difficult to concentrate for long periods of time during whole-class question and answer sessions. However, where teachers’ questioning is sharper, whole-class discussions are very effective. They involve pupils more by making sure that they have time to share and generate ideas or answers. We also saw, and other school-based evidence indicates, that some teachers and support staff make better use of time in lessons, for example by adapting tasks to enable pupils to work effectively in smaller groups. This helps pupils in each group to keep up and make good progress, as well as maintaining a good pace to pupils’ learning. There is scope now to build on what is working well in both small-group and whole-class teaching. Workbooks, lessons and assessments show that the most effective teaching extends and challenges pupils to reach higher standards or learn in greater depth. Safeguarding is effective. Leaders and governors have ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Staff vetting is rigorous and includes systematic checks on visitors, volunteers, governors and supply staff. The indoor and outdoor areas are clean, safe and secure. Risk assessments of resources and school on-site and off-site activities are carried out routinely. Safeguarding and child-protection training for all staff is carried out systematically. Staff are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities regarding child protection and the safety of pupils. You and the staff team work closely with vulnerable or disadvantaged families. Actions taken to reduce persistent absenteeism have been successful. Most parents and staff, rightly, believe that pupils are safe in school. Inspection findings Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, including those in the Puffins’ class who have cognition and learning difficulties, do very well. The teaching and support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities across the school are well managed.