The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You lead the school with determination that all pupils will receive the best standard of education possible. You work successfully with staff and governors to ensure that your mission statement, „It is not enough to love children, they must know they are loved‟, permeates throughout the school. As a result, you have created a very caring and inclusive learning environment. As one parent said, „My daughter really knows she belongs here.‟ Since the last inspection, the school has joined the Xavier Catholic Education Trust, a multi-academy trust (MAT) that provides regular, effective support and challenge to drive school improvement. Pupils love attending St Anne‟s. They are keen to learn and work hard. They think their school is a friendly place and that lessons are fun. They say that teachers help them when they get stuck by „coming straight over and talking it through. You get it in the end.‟ As one parent commented, „The school aims to encourage children to overcome all challenges with an “I can do. I will try” attitude.‟ Pupils also appreciate that teachers take the time to talk through behaviour choices with them. Pupils reflect on the impact of their actions on the feelings of others. They understand the behaviour policy well and love the opportunity to receive rewards from the „wonder box‟. As a result, behaviour in the school is a strength. The last inspection report of your predecessor school highlighted several strengths. These included the good opportunities for the promotion of pupils‟ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; the high expectations of leaders; and the strong early years provision. You have maintained these strengths. For example, teaching in early years is highly skilled. Activities are planned well to capture the children‟s interests. Children are engaged and excited by their learning. During my visits to classes, I observed how well children get on with each other. They are confident in their surroundings already, having only started full-time school the day before the inspection. At the last inspection, leaders were asked to develop teaching and learning to ensure that pupils know exactly what is expected from them. You have taken effective action to improve this aspect of the school‟s work. During my visits to lessons, pupils could tell me accurately what they were learning and how they ensure that they produce work of a high quality. The 2018 unvalidated performance information for the end of key stage 2 indicates that the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in mathematics is below the national average. Leaders are determined that standards will rise. They have responded swiftly to these results by reviewing the curriculum for mathematics and the school‟s approach to teaching the subject, supported ably by the MAT. The school works closely with other schools within the Xavier Catholic Education Trust to check the accuracy of teachers‟ assessments. Your own school‟s detailed analysis of pupils‟ performance shows that pupils‟ outcomes in writing across all year groups are variable. Ensuring that more pupils reach and exceed the age-related expectations for writing and mathematics is an appropriate school improvement target. You also know that there is further work to be done to improve the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and take their responsibilities very seriously. Training is up to date and thorough. Records show that leaders take prompt, assertive and effective action to ensure that pupils receive the support they need. The designated safeguarding lead involves external agencies as appropriate and is tenacious in following up referrals. Records are detailed and of high quality. During the inspection, I identified a discrepancy in the single central record. This oversight was addressed immediately, demonstrating leaders‟ and administrators‟ commitment to meeting statutory requirements. Staff who responded to Ofsted‟s questionnaire unanimously agreed that pupils are kept safe at the school. Most pupils attend school regularly. However, absence figures for disadvantaged pupils remain above those of others. Leaders know that there is scope to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils further. Pupils say that they feel safe and well looked after at St Anne‟s. They say that if they have a problem, staff listen to them. They especially appreciate the class „worry boxes‟ which they use to share concerns with their teacher. Pupils have a good knowledge of how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, such as when on a bicycle or online. Inspection findings At the beginning of the inspection, we agreed that we would focus on how effectively leaders ensure strong outcomes for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, how well teachers challenge the most able pupils and how leaders and governors ensure that the school continues to improve. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are well cared for at St Anne‟s. Early identification and careful assessment make sure that their specific needs are thoroughly understood. Staff, including teaching assistants, are well trained and highly skilled. As a result, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress academically, emotionally and socially. Disadvantaged pupils are provided with a range of additional support to improve their attainment and progress. However, their attainment is generally lower than their classmates‟. In addition, their rate of progress is not yet enabling them to catch up. At the end of key stage 2, in 2017, the proportion of pupils who reached the higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics combined was below the national average. My visits to classrooms and scrutiny of pupils‟ work showed that the vast majority of the most able pupils are challenged with appropriate tasks. A pupil told me cheerfully, „I love a good challenge.‟ Pupils are very aware of their teachers‟ expectations for each piece of work and respond well to them, producing work of high quality. Teachers‟ questioning is effective in assessing pupils‟ understanding, challenging their thinking and encouraging them to reflect more deeply. As a result, the most able make strong progress at St Anne‟s, including children in early years. Leaders, governors and the MAT are honest about the school‟s strengths and its areas for development. The school‟s self-evaluation is accurate. Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of teaching across the school. Their actions to monitor and develop teaching further are effective and have resulted in a skilled teaching team. St Anne‟s also benefits from the expertise available from other schools within the MAT. Middle leaders receive good support to develop their skills. They are knowledgeable about their areas of responsibility and have taken appropriate action to improve pupils‟ performance in their subjects. Governors visit the school regularly. They use the information gathered on these visits to both challenge and support leaders. Governors have a secure understanding of their roles and how they work with the MAT to achieve the greatest benefit for all pupils and the school community.