The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have worked effectively with your head of school to improve very many aspects of the school’s provision since you joined as executive headteacher in September 2013. You have helped the school to grow and thrive since becoming part of the federation with Wingham Primary School. Governors describe your leadership as inspirational. Staff completely trust in what you are trying to achieve and support your improvements with enthusiasm. They can see how well the opportunities afforded to pupils are preparing them for the future. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Every single parent who completed the online survey, Parent View, would recommend Preston Primary to other parents. One parent wrote, ‘There is a strong sense of community and belonging here.’ As the federation has blossomed, you have become more strategic in your leadership. This, in turn, has helped the head of school and the inclusion manager to develop and flourish in their respective leadership roles. The curriculum is unique and built around the needs of the pupils who attend the school. It celebrates the community within which the school sits and offers pupils a window into the wider world and the opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in all subjects. Right from the youngest children in Reception upwards, pupils are confident and enjoy success in all areas of school life. They say that the school is a safe place and there is no bullying. One girl reported that when anyone does fall out it is normally because ‘they haven’t had enough sleep!’ The head of school evaluates the quality of teaching accurately. She knows that the high-quality provision that pupils have received has allowed them to achieve well at key points. For example, outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check have been very high in recent years. Attainment and progress are improving in key stages 1 and 2. Disadvantaged pupils often make better progress than other pupils nationally. In fact the progress that pupils made in mathematics in key stage 2 in 2017 was significantly higher than that found nationally. Nevertheless, leaders know that this is not yet replicated in English and mathematics for all current pupils. Leaders also know that there are times when teachers could do more to challenge the most able pupils. The federation was formed a few months after the previous inspection. You, your governors and the local authority all report that the school was not as strong as may have been expected at the time. There were changes to staffing and although headline outcomes were acceptable, there was much to do to consolidate good teaching across the school. Nonetheless, you have implemented the recommendations from that inspection. You have ensured that the school’s assessment and marking policy is applied consistently, and have provided opportunities for teachers to observe good practice within the federation and beyond. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Leaders know the school and the community well and this allows them to spot when things are not as they should be. When the school joined the federation, improvements were made to the safety of the site and recruitment procedures were double-checked. Required checks on federation governors were also completed. Staff and governors are well trained in safeguarding pupils and know the key factors that may put them at risk. They are especially vigilant regarding pupils’ appropriate use of online technology, both in and out of school. Pupils feel comfortable and confident about reporting inappropriate material to staff. Inspection findings During this inspection we agreed to focus on: the progress of current pupils in mathematics; how reading contributes to deepening knowledge in the wider curriculum; the identification and progress of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities; and the impact of governors and leaders working across the federation.