The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You set high expectations so that pupils at Oak Hill First school have the best possible start to their education and are well prepared when they leave to complete the end of key stage 2 at middle schools. You benefit from the support of an effective senior leadership team and a skilled and knowledgeable governing body. You know the school and the community it serves very well. You make sure that the school adapts to changes in its intake of pupils, including the growing number of pupils who speak English as an additional language. Inclusion is a notable feature of the school and pupils’ well-being is a priority. As a result, while the school is much larger than average, pupils benefit from a high level of personal care and attention. The relationship between pupils and staff is positive. The school is a cohesive community where pupils respect adults and each other. Staff share leaders’ values and aspirations and support the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils effectively. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the range of enrichment and extracurricular activities the school offers. While a few parents have expressed reservations about communication with the school via Parent View, the Ofsted online questionnaire, many commented on the caring ethos of the school and on the fact that their children look forward to an enjoyable time at school. You are aware of what needs to be done to improve the school further. You have rightly identified that continuous professional development of staff is important to sustain the improvement of outcomes for children in the early years and for pupils in key stages 1 and 2. Embedding the successful strategies the school introduced to improve pupils’ language and communication skills is also one of your key priorities. Safeguarding is effective. The school has a strong culture of safeguarding that is consistent with its caring ethos. The designated safeguarding lead ensures that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. All members of staff receive up-to-date training and are regularly reminded of their duty to be vigilant. The school provides effective support to vulnerable children and their families. Leaders work well with external agencies to keep vulnerable children safe and make sure that any disruption to their education is minimised. Pupils are taught how to keep safe in a range of situations. Pupils are taught about the risks involved in using social media and the internet. The school also provides information to parents about e-safety. Pupils are clear about what constitutes bullying and why it is not acceptable. The school records show that bullying is dealt with swiftly and effectively. Inspection findings The early years provision is well led. The assessment of children’s skills, abilities and needs when they join the early years is thorough and rigorous and informs subsequent teaching. Children’s progress is recorded in well-kept learning journals. In each well-organised classroom and in the outdoor areas there are well-resourced activities designed to support children’s independent development. Teaching in the early years is effective, especially the teaching of phonics and early numeracy. Many children join the early years with skills that are much lower than those typical for their age, especially in the areas of language and communication. Children make good progress from their starting points. However, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development is not yet in line with national averages. Leaders monitor closely the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. They check that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are making at least good progress. As a result, attainment gaps are closing by the end of key stage 1 and pupils’ outcomes are broadly in line with national averages. To continue to improve outcomes in the early years and key stage 1, leaders are implementing a more effective approach to the professional development of staff. However, inconsistencies in the quality of teaching persist and require further attention.