The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You have continued to develop and strengthen senior and middle leadership of the school. You have nurtured a cohesive leadership team. Leaders follow your example, demonstrating a tangible sense of purpose and commitment to every pupil having a successful and happy experience of education at your school. Overall, pupils continue to make strong progress across all subjects. Pupils are well mannered, good-humoured and very welcoming. They are loyal to, and proud of, their school. Pupils interact positively across different year groups. In meetings with inspectors they listened to each other’s views respectfully. They are very appreciative of the support and encouragement they receive from members of staff. They especially cite additional sessions to help them with aspects of their work they find more difficult. Pupils are attentive to their teachers, collaborate well and are keen to learn. They value the school as a community in which all are accepted and respected. Leaders recognise accurately and realistically the strengths of the school and those areas that need to be better. Leaders are reflective, and persevere, refining strategies that they find do not have the intended impact of improvement. For example, the school’s intensive support for individual pupils helps them to overcome the barriers to their learning. However, overall the persistent absence of disadvantaged pupils remains well above average and this continues to be a priority and a challenge for leaders. Parents who completed Parent View, the online survey, were overall very positive about the school. Parents especially highlight the smooth, well-managed transition their children experienced from primary school so that they settled happily and confidently at Sackville. Parents praise the strong, approachable and responsive leaders, whose commitment is reflected by staff. One parent expressed typically that ‘the teachers go above and beyond on a regular basis’. Parents also highly appreciate the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). One parent commented, reflecting the views of others, that leaders have ‘created an ethos that allows every child to be valued’. Staff who completed the survey for this inspection expressed their strong support of the school’s leadership. They value the professional development they receive in their roles. The very large majority of responses indicated their agreement that leaders do all they can to ensure that the school has a motivated, respected and effective teaching staff. Safeguarding is effective. Leaders ensure that the arrangements for safeguarding pupils are fit for purpose. The single central record is well organised and demonstrates leaders’ meticulous approach to ensuring that all the required checks of staff are made. Leaders, including governors, are knowledgeable about local and national risks to pupils. Staff liaise well with outside agencies, including the police, to make sure that safeguarding concerns are followed up swiftly. Pupils state that they feel safe in school. Parents and staff who responded to surveys agree that children are safe in the school. Leaders have boosted awareness of mental health concerns. Staff have been trained as mental health first aiders and are readily available to support pupils who are feeling anxious. Inspection findings We agreed to consider leaders’ actions to ensure that disadvantaged pupils achieve their potential. In 2018, overall, disadvantaged pupils did not achieve as well as in previous years, their progress and attainment being well below the national averages for all pupils. Leaders, including governors, place utmost priority on inclusion and ensuring that disadvantaged pupils have the opportunity to engage productively with their education. A strategy group, set up since the previous inspection, meets regularly and considers what each disadvantaged pupil needs to enable them to fulfil their potential. Additional and effective interventions are put in place for individuals if they are falling behind. This includes the increasingly accessible support with mental health issues as well as extra help with academic work.