The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. You have only been in post since September. There have been significant changes to leadership since the previous inspection. The current deputy headteacher assumed the leadership of the school in an interim role on a few occasions and was last year supported in leading the school by the key stage 1 leader. During this period of change the school’s effectiveness in promoting good teaching and learning has continued to be strengthened. Standards have risen at the end of early years and key stage 1. The progress that pupils made across key stage 2 last year was above average in reading and mathematics. The teaching of reading is a particular strength of the school. Pupils are very positive about what the school offers them. Those spoken to could explain how they were doing their part to ‘aim high, show respect and make a difference’. Pupils and their parents value the enrichment of the curriculum through frequent highlights which broaden the topics studied. For example, older pupils cook and taste wartime food as part of their Second World War topic. A parent typically expressed confidence in the school saying: ‘This school has been everything we have wanted from a school. The teachers are amazing. We couldn’t ask for more.’ The handover of the leadership of the school has been managed effectively to ensure that the impetus of improvement is not lost. Skilled and experienced governors, and close working with multi-academy trust advisers, have supported this process. You and your team of leaders have identified relevant priorities for the next stage of the school’s development. You have used assessment information effectively to target the further development of mathematics. At the previous inspection leaders were advised to raise standards in writing. There has been considerable development of the teaching of writing. In 2018, the standards pupils reached at the end of key stage 1 were above national average at both the expected and at the higher standards. Pupils’ progress across key stage 2 was average and therefore not as strong as their progress in reading and mathematics. Boys’ progress in writing has been weaker than that of girls for the past two years. The achievement of boys is improving, but boys’ writing remains as an area of development for the school. Safeguarding is effective. Staff are vigilant for pupils’ safety and welfare. A group of leaders is trained to the higher level in safeguarding, enabling them to respond quickly to concerns raised. Their teamwork has supported the school’s safeguarding practice during the changes in leadership. Leaders work closely with a number of agencies to secure support for pupils. School leaders persist in referring concerns if they feel that pupils continue to be at risk. All records of actions taken in respect of safeguarding are recorded meticulously. Governors maintain their effective oversight of safeguarding through frequent meetings with leaders and through their own monitoring. For example, they scrutinise the school’s records of checks made on adults who work with pupils. Governors regularly check to ensure that all procedures and policies are up to date and effective. Pupils feel safe in school. They are realistic that on rare occasions pupils may treat others unkindly. However, they understand how to make their concerns known and say they would confide in any member of staff because they have, as a pupil expressed it, ‘earned our trust’. Pupils value the guidance they are given on how to keep themselves safe, for example through understanding the risks of the internet. Overwhelmingly, parents believe that their children are safe and well looked after. A very small number of parents felt that their concerns were not sufficiently recognised. Inspection evidence showed that concerns are addressed, but at times they are not recorded well enough to help leaders check the effectiveness of the actions taken. Inspection findings Children get off to a good start with their writing in the Reception class. However, while rising over time, the proportion of children attaining the early learning goal in writing has been lower than attainment in other areas of the curriculum. Staff in the Reception class promote children’s interest in writing effectively. During the inspection, boys and girls were seen to choose writing as part of their independent learning. Children acquire phonic skills early and use these to write familiar words and organise their ideas into simple stories.