The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Since your appointments as interim headteacher in January 2016 and substantive headteacher in April 2017, you have built a skilled and enthusiastic team which is committed to meeting the needs of pupils. As one parent commented, ‘Abbots Ripton has nurtured my child’s needs attentively.’ At the previous inspection the school was tasked with improving the teaching of writing by embedding assessment practice and implementing the school’s handwriting policy. The school now has a robust process for assessment which includes checking judgements about pupils’ attainment with teachers in other schools. Pupils work with their teachers to check their work and know what to do to improve their writing. Handwriting is taught consistently and pupils know what they have to do to earn a pen. You ensure that teachers have access to professional training. This has enabled them to develop an exciting and engaging curriculum at this school. Your teachers also provide support to other local schools to help them to improve their teaching and develop their curriculums. Parents, pupils and staff agreed that pupils behave well in the school. Pupils are respectful to adults and each other. During lunchtime, older pupils serve younger pupils on their tables and this gives a ‘family feel’ to meal times. In lessons, pupils follow adults’ instructions and work hard. Pupils know what bullying is, say that it is extremely rare, and know what to do if they have any concerns. Governors are passionate about the school. They can talk confidently about current school improvement priorities and the actions that leaders are taking to address them. They have a particularly strong understanding of the use of additional funding, such as the pupil premium funding. They work with you and your leaders to monitor the school’s work. However, evidence from minutes of meetings shows that they are not always sufficiently focused on challenging leaders to ensure that pupils reach the highest possible standards. Most children enter the school with skills that are typical for their age. The small proportion who do not, tend to catch up quickly. In the Reception class, children are motivated and excited by their learning. Adults ask questions which enable learning to build from the children’s play activities. Teaching ensures that children develop secure phonic skills that they use when reading and writing. You ensure that the good start children make in developing phonics skills in the Reception class continues in Year 1. In 2018, every pupil met the expected standard in the phonics screening check. In key stage 1, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard and greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average. Year 6 pupils made strong progress from their starting points to attain the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportions attaining the higher standards in reading and mathematics were above average, as was the proportion of pupils attaining greater depth in writing. Discussions with pupils highlighted that they enjoy reading. They were keen to suggest authors and books that I should read. Safeguarding is effective. Leaders, including governors, have ensured that there is a strong culture of safeguarding pupils. It is the first item for discussion on each staff meeting agenda and is included as an area to be checked during governor monitoring visits. Staff know what to do if they have concerns about a pupil. Records of concern are well organised and enable leaders to monitor pupils closely. Leaders work closely with outside agencies to meet pupils’ needs. Staff training is comprehensive and records are used to ensure that they do not miss important updates. All the required checks are made on the suitability of adults to work in school. They are recorded carefully and efficiently on the single central record. Pupils of all ages told me they feel safe at school, and parents and staff agree.