The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have achieved this by successfully addressing the areas identified for improvement and maintaining a good culture of ambition among pupils and staff. The school community continues to share your vision for the school to raise aspirations and pupils’ performance. Parents who responded to Ofsted’s survey were overwhelmingly positive about the school. The school and sixth form are increasingly popular choices for parents, with the number on roll increasing and the school continuing to be oversubscribed. The opportunities provided for pupils’ personal development form a significant part of the school’s appeal to pupils. The school meets the Department for Education’s definition of a coasting school based on key stage 4 academic results up to 2016. Leaders and governors made considered decisions in the past about the curriculum that meant that pupils could study a range of subjects to suit their aspirations. Some of those subjects did not count in the new performance measure for GCSE performance, progress 8. A policy of early entry, which leaders believe helps their pupils achieve more highly, meant that some published results did not account for the best grades some pupils achieved. During the inspection, you and your team were able to demonstrate that those decisions have positively influenced pupils’ outcomes in the subjects they select and their destinations when they leave the school. Leaders have not been complacent about national reforms to GCSE and A levels, and have made suitable adjustments to the curriculum over time that meet pupils’ needs. Governors have been precise in their scrutiny of leaders’ decisions and actions. There is a wide range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities on offer, many of which link directly with pupils’ academic studies and contribute to pupils’ strong attitudes to learning. Enrichment, clubs and the sense of community that exists within the school featured prominently in parents’, pupils’ and staff’s feedback to inspectors. At the last inspection, leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance and governors’ scrutiny of leaders’ work featured as strengths. This continues to be the case. Leaders understand that there remains work to do to ensure that disadvantaged pupils with average prior attainment and the most able achieve better across the curriculum. This is particularly the case in subjects that performed less well last year, such as mathematics. The work done to raise standards in those areas since the start of the academic year has already resulted in much improved progress across year groups. Students in the sixth form made good progress across a range of subjects and overall last year. Students’ destinations demonstrate progression into suitable and aspirational careers and employment. Girls who join the sixth form make good progress in their studies and told inspectors that they enjoy coming to this school. Safeguarding is effective. The school’s arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have ensured that protocols are in place to respond to concerns in a timely and appropriate manner. This includes working effectively with external agencies and following up referrals effectively. Records are accurate and robust, enabling staff to consider pupils’ pastoral needs when planning interventions and activities. Pre-employment checks on staff are accurately recorded in the single central record and consistent with the latest statutory guidance. Leaders and governors have a detailed understanding of local contextual risks that their pupils potentially face. Consequently, training for staff and pupils is regular and focused on issues including gang violence, drug abuse and domestic violence. Staff have a keen awareness of the links between those issues and wider concerns regarding child sexual exploitation, children missing from education and in the school’s fulfilment of the ‘Prevent’ duty. Parents, staff and pupils feel that this is a safe and caring school where bullying is rare. Staff manage behaviour effectively and pupils demonstrate a high degree of respect and tolerance towards one another. Leaders use permanent exclusions appropriately to maintain pupils’ wellbeing and minimise the chance of external risks affecting the school. Inspection findings At the beginning of the inspection, leaders and the inspection team agreed to focus on three key lines of enquiry. The first key line of enquiry explored how leaders are working to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils with average starting points and the most able.