The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Under your leadership, the school continues to improve. You combine a clearsighted focus on improving GCSE outcomes with a deep-seated moral commitment to serving the needs of all the young people in the area, especially the most vulnerable. Staff and pupils are quick to point to the impact you have made since you took up the post of headteacher in 2016. Both groups told inspectors that they value the fact that ‘he does what he says he will do’. They know that you are determined to carry through on the promises you make and the policies that you put in place. You and your senior team have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and are making good progress in addressing areas that require attention. Your senior colleagues work together well as a team, and teachers value the support they receive from them. Governors are experienced and knowledgeable. They have wisely recruited members from education, public sector and business backgrounds to work alongside governors from the local community. They use their skills well to check on the work of the headteacher and senior leaders appropriately. In the last inspection report, school leaders were asked to improve the achievement of lower-ability pupils, to develop the role of middle leaders and to improve teaching and learning across the school by sharing their good practice and by raising the level of challenge for pupils. There has been a substantial improvement in the achievements of lower-ability pupils since the inspection. Since then, results have been at least in line with national averages and, in some cases, above. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are also making good progress. Middle leaders are working effectively to drive up standards in their areas of responsibility. You and your senior colleagues hold them to account for their work appropriately and challenge them effectively. Middle leaders particularly value the reviews of departmental performance that you have led. You and your senior colleagues have created a culture in which middle leaders are keen to share ideas and learn from each other. The work of middle leaders has been a very significant factor in ensuring that pupils made better progress overall in 2016 than in most other schools in the country. School leaders have ensured that teachers are given opportunities to work together on their classroom skills and so improve their work. This is improving the quality of teaching overall. However, you are aware that these opportunities have not yet had their full impact across all areas of the school. This is because there is not yet a rigorous approach to evaluating teaching and learning initiatives, which means that you do not know which actions need reinforcement. Teachers set an appropriately high level of challenging work for most pupils. Pupils respond well to the challenges set for them. The great majority have good attitudes to learning. They are keen to answer teachers’ questions and keen to succeed. However, when the level of challenge dips, so too does pupils’ enthusiasm. When that happens, pupils lose concentration and can become disengaged. Safeguarding is effective. You and your senior colleagues ensure that safeguarding has the highest priority in the school. Together, you have built a team of skilled and committed staff who work together to support pupils when they need help. Consequently, pupils are confident that they are looked after and they know who to go to should they have a concern. You know that some pupils in the school community are particularly vulnerable and you have ensured that there is provision in place to meet their needs. For example, one member of staff focuses very effectively on supporting pupils who have mental health issues. Staff also work well with outside agencies, such as the local authority, and with parents to support pupils who need additional help to keep themselves safe. As a result, vulnerable pupils can continue to attend and achieve when they may have otherwise struggled to do so. You have ensured that the school’s safeguarding systems and checks on the recruitment of staff are in place and of a high standard. Staff are well trained and understand their responsibilities. Pupils receive regular reminders and updates about how to keep themselves safe in the real world and online.