The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Since October 2016, the substantive headteacher has been unexpectedly absent. During her absence, you have provided effective leadership with the support of a newly appointed senior leader. As a result, staff share your vision to improve further pupils’ outcomes. Governors know the school well, offer you constructive support and are prepared to challenge where they believe more can be achieved. Staff and pupils are welcoming and are clearly proud of their school. Pupils behave well and show high levels of confidence. Staff are positive role models to pupils and demonstrate the values of tolerance and respect for others. Pupils trust adults to look after them and keep them safe. The pupils are keen to talk about the work they are doing, and are enthusiastic about their learning. The previous inspection identified the need to increase the proportion of outstanding teaching. Since October 2016, you have identified and tackled weaker teaching and supported teachers to improve their practice through effective training and development. Consequently, school assessment information indicates that pupils are making faster progress. Teachers’ responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire show that morale is high and that staff have responded well to recent changes. By the end of key stage 1, most pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Achievements for the most able pupils at the end of key stage 2 have not been so strong. Again, leaders are tackling the weaknesses effectively in mathematics. The evidence seen in pupils’ books, and in lessons, confirmed that the most able pupils are making stronger progress from their starting points. Leaders agree that a greater level of commitment is necessary to encourage pupils to read more at home as well as in school. Safeguarding is effective. School leaders have ensured that current safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. Arrangements for the checks on the suitability of staff are robust. Staff receive effective training and have a secure understanding of the risks and how to manage them if needed. Communication with external agencies is prompt and pupil files show follow-up procedures are thorough. Governors are well versed in supporting the school’s safeguarding culture and take their responsibilities seriously. For example, they ensure that the necessary safeguarding procedures for the multi-use site are fully implemented. Pupils spoken to during the inspection report that they feel safe in school and know how to report any concerns. They were confident that you and your staff would help them sort out any worries swiftly. Inspection findings In the 2016 tests, pupils at key stage 1 achieved above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. However, at key stage 2, attainment was below the national average in reading and mathematics, particularly for the most able pupils. Therefore, at the start of the inspection you and I agreed that we would look at the quality of pupils’ reading and mathematics at key stage 2. Leaders have reflected accurately on the reasons for stronger attainment in reading at key stage 1. As a result, additional strategies are in place to support reading at key stage 2. This includes increased access to a wide range of texts and support from a reading specialist for those girls who are not fluent readers. Current assessment information from national attainment tests indicates that pupils, including the most able and disadvantaged, are now making sustained progress. Nevertheless, readers that I listened to were reading books that were not challenging enough. This applied particularly to the most able pupils. Senior leaders have rightly identified the need to strengthen further their approach to structured reading at key stage 2. Evidence gathered in relation to mathematics at key stage 2 demonstrates that this has been a key focus for development over the past year. Leaders have introduced a number of strategies to improve pupils’ performance. These are having a positive impact on pupils’ achievements. Teachers are skilful in their questioning and expectations of pupils are high and, as a result, pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. Work seen in books demonstrates more significant progress, particularly for the most able. In mathematics, targeted support has accelerated progress for the most able pupils. School assessment information indicates that all pupil groups are now making faster progress in mathematics. We then looked at pupils’ attendance. In 2016, attendance was below the national average, particularly for pupils eligible for free school meals and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Attendance figures for this year have improved steadily and are now close to national figures. This is because procedures for following up poor attendance are now more robust. The attendance officer has had a significant impact on reducing absence. Leaders work closely with parents to help improve individual attendance. However, more work is required to prevent parents from repeatedly taking their children out of school during term time. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: teaching continues to stretch and challenge the most able pupils so that they achieve their best reducing pupils’ absence from school remains a high priority so that attendance is at least in line with national figures appropriate action is taken against parents who repeatedly remove their children from school during term time. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body and the director of children’s services for Hackney. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Carolyn Dickinson Her Majesty’s Inspector Information about the inspection During this inspection, I visited lessons to observe learning jointly with the acting headteacher. While in lessons, I reviewed pupils’ work and discussed pupils’ learning with them. I listened to key stage 2 pupils read. Meetings were held with leaders, staff, pupils and governors in order to explore the areas identified and the progress made by the school since the previous inspection. The documentation reviewed included: leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance and plans for development; attendance information; and procedures and policies, including those for attendance and safeguarding. I considered the views of the 46 parents and six staff who responded to Ofsted’s online surveys. There were no responses to the pupil survey.