The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Senior leaders and governors have ensured that the school is an inclusive and welcoming place. You have successfully created an environment where all feel valued. Parents, carers and pupils are proud of the way in which you have ensured that the ‘rights respecting’ agenda is central to everything the school does. You have addressed the areas identified at the time of the previous inspection. You have ensured that teachers give clear advice to pupils about how to improve their work. Teachers show children how to use language well. They encourage pupils to explain and reason in lessons. As a result, pupils, many of whom speak English as an additional language, are able to express thoughts and ideas effectively both verbally and in writing. Governors know the school well. They visit the school often. They are highly ambitious for the school and provide effective challenge which is focused on school improvement and achieving the best outcomes for pupils. Safeguarding is effective. You have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are in place and are fit for purpose. Records are detailed and of a high quality. Staff are effectively trained in safeguarding and know how to safeguard pupils. Leaders work very effectively with external agencies. Swift action is taken where there are concerns relating to pupils’ safety and well-being. Pupils report that they feel safe at school and parents support this view. Pupils demonstrate a clear understanding of issues such as road safety, ‘stranger danger’ and what to do if they or their friends are bullied. They felt that bullying was not an issue in school but were confident that they could report it if it did happen and knew that the adults around them would deal with it effectively. Inspection findings At the start of the inspection, we agreed upon key lines of enquiry. The first was around the use of pupil premium funding. I considered how effective leaders’ actions have been in identifying and addressing the barriers faced by disadvantaged pupils. This was because attainment and progress for this group have not been as good as for other pupils nationally or other pupils at Elmwood Infant School since the last inspection. You have rightly prioritised the attainment and progress of these pupils in your school development plan. Leaders know this group of pupils and their families well. You have ensured that actions are in place to support pupils’ learning and well-being. Together with governors, you have taken the decision to fund places in breakfast and after-school clubs for disadvantaged pupils. This has resulted in improved attendance and punctuality. This is having a positive impact on outcomes. The recent introduction of staff acting as mentors for these pupils is already having an impact in boosting pupils’ confidence in their learning. Pupils know that they have a special person to talk to and look forward to sharing personal achievements with them. You have ensured that the progress of disadvantaged pupils is closely monitored through regular progress meetings. Leaders and teachers work together to identify the steps needed to improve learning. Other professionals such as speech therapists and educational psychologists ensure that staff are trained to deliver a range of interventions which help pupils learn effectively. Interventions and boosters are carefully monitored to make sure that they are helping pupils learn well. Targets are set to ensure that all teachers have a shared understanding of how to assist pupils’ progress. Parent workshops help to ensure that pupils are given support at home. Workbooks and the school’s own progress data show that differences in pupil outcomes are diminishing over time. Although gaps still exist, the work you and your team are doing is having a positive impact on outcomes. We then considered how effective leaders’ actions have been in ensuring that the early years curriculum meets the needs of children and prepares them for the next stage in their education. This was because, since the previous inspection, children have not met national standards by the end of their time in Reception. Boys’ outcomes have been significantly below those of boys nationally and girls at Elmwood Infant School. You have been very proactive in helping parents support learning at home. The development of fine motor skills has a high priority in the Nursery. Parents are given resources to take home to use with their child. This is further developed in the Reception class, where writing packs are sent home to support learning. Leaders have been active in developing the skills and knowledge of staff. They ensure that staff visit other providers to inform their own practice. Assessment systems show that adults identify next steps in learning and plan opportunities for children to develop in these areas.