The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Since the previous inspection, several new members of staff have joined the school, including you as headteacher. You have worked effectively with these staff, especially developing the skills of your leaders of mathematics and English. You have worked well with all staff and parents to increase the number of opportunities for pupils to be engaged in after-school events. There have also been changes in the governing body, with a new chair and new governors. Under the direction of the new chair, governance at the school is a strength. Governors support the school well and challenge you to drive the school forward. There is a clear and strategic direction for school leadership. They know what needs to be done to help staff to ensure that the pupils continue to achieve well and make good progress. The strong relationships and mutual respect between teachers and pupils contribute positively to their engagement and enthusiasm in learning. Staff support and challenge pupils to do their best. Those pupils I spoke to are ambitious for their future. One pupil, whose view was typical, told me, ‘I like this school because everyone is respectful but the teachers still make us work hard.’ Pupils particularly enjoy sharing their learning with one another, for example through assemblies. Pupils of all ages help each other and value the friendships they have. They are also very appreciative of the extensive sporting and extra-curricular experiences the school offers. Parents report that they feel very positive about how the school has developed under your leadership. They agree that ‘the recently appointed head has really brought the school forward, and I can see the difference in the children’s homework, classwork and learning environments without losing the close-knit family feel of the school’. Safeguarding is effective. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and that records are detailed and of high quality. Documentation demonstrates that staff in the school carry out thorough checks to ensure that the school is a safe place to be. The culture of the school is one where every member of staff and volunteer is aware of their responsibilities and receives regular training and support. You, other senior leaders and governors are rigorous in your engagement with external agencies to ensure that they follow up concerns raised. Pupils state that they feel safe at the school. They support one another if they have a concern or worry and know that staff in school will help them too. They know how to keep themselves safe online and are clear about the dangers of speaking to strangers and of keeping safe when crossing roads. The school uses the local village effectively to create real-life situations where children have to respond to risks, including contacting the emergency services. Responses to the parent online questionnaires were positive in stating that they feel children are safe and well-cared-for in school. Inspection findings My first key line of enquiry examined how successful leaders’ actions have been in improving attendance at the school. You and the governing body have been robust in tackling this issue. You have celebrated good attendance, providing incentives for children in the form of letters and postcards home. You and your governors have also been clear about setting out the importance of attending school and demonstrating the impact low attendance has on future educational success. Strong and direct leadership has resulted in attendance improving for all groups for the previous academic year. This is at least in line with the national average, and placed the school as the most improved in the local authority.