The leadership team have maintained the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. They have successfully addressed all areas which were identified as requiring some improvement. The feedback that teachers provide to pupils about their work consistently follows the school’s agreed policy. This helps pupils to be clear about how they can improve their learning. There is now a more systematic approach to the teaching of phonics. This enables pupils to learn quickly and apply their skills in both reading and writing activities. Leaders have improved the way that they track the progress that pupils make. This ensures that pupils’ progress is checked regularly and additional help is swiftly put in place when required. The school successfully meets its aim for ‘children to be happy, confident individuals and lifelong learners’. There is a warm and welcoming feel to this very caring school and parents and carers appreciate its ‘lovely atmosphere and vibe’. You are justifiably proud of the way in which you adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of your pupils. This enables them to thrive. Parents report that they are very pleased with the school. They are particularly praiseworthy of the education which is ‘aimed at each individual child’s qualities and needs’. You and your leaders, including the governors, have an accurate understanding of the effectiveness of the school. You work closely with other schools in the local area to share professional development and best practice. These strong links also provide opportunities for external challenge which is used to improve teaching. Safeguarding is effective. Ensuring the safety of every pupil who attends this school is at the heart of all that the school does. You and your staff know your families very well. The extensive training you have all received enables you to swiftly identify any concerns, including signs of abuse or neglect and mental health issues which impact on pupils’ welfare. You work closely with your pre-schools and your local junior school to share key information and work together to support vulnerable families. Working alongside specialist external agencies, you always make sure that the needs of the pupils are paramount to any decision that is made. You are proud of the local recognition you receive as a school with high-quality safeguarding practices and procedures. The well-trained governors are extremely clear about their role in keeping pupils safe and undertake their responsibilities effectively. Those responsible for the recruitment of staff make sure that appropriate checks are carried out before new employees start their job. Pupils report that they feel safe and are very clear that there is always an adult in school who they can talk to if they have a worry or a problem. Regular fire drills ensure that the pupils know what to do in the event of an incident. They talk confidently about keeping safe when using the internet and understand why they need to wear jackets that keep them very visible when out on school trips. Inspection findings An ever-increasing proportion of your children start school with very limited speech, poorly developed physical skills and have difficulty expressing and managing their feelings. The proportion of children who reach a good level of development at the end of Reception is consistently below average. In order to accelerate the progress made in Reception, you have recently introduced a number of positive initiatives to meet their needs. You have placed a stronger emphasis on providing Reception children with first-hand learning experiences. This has not only captured their interest but is helping them to develop their vocabulary. For example, having lunch out at a nearby Chinese restaurant brought their Chinese New Year celebrations alive. It also helped them to extend their vocabulary. Fun music and movement activities help Reception children to coordinate and control their arms and hands and support their writing skills. Effective use is also made of a specialist coach to develop their running, jumping and balancing skills. In addition to this, your Reception teachers are also encouraging the children to think about how they learn. For example, they are able to explain when they persevered with an activity or worked together with a friend to solve a problem. Recent opportunities for Reception teachers to observe their Year 1 colleagues have enabled them to gain a deeper understanding of the expectations for this year group. In turn, observations made by Year 1 colleagues of the Reception teachers support a smoother transition between the two key stages.