You and the leadership team have maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Your inspiring and determined approach has ensured that the very great majority of pupils make good progress and achieve at least the standards expected, and increasing numbers go beyond. Outcomes in mathematics are particularly strong. Parents and carers are very supportive of the school’s work. As the school is serving an ever more diverse community, you and your team have rightly focused on inclusion. The parents I met and those who wrote to me as part of the inspection, including a refugee family, were fulsome in praising the school’s work with them. Bilingual children were similarly keen to talk to me about all that is done for them. You are rightly making the most of what the city has to offer by way of support services for these members of the community. Your staff collaborate as a cohesive and motivated team. Lessons are lively and interesting. Learning typically builds well on what pupils know, and you have effective arrangements for supporting those who fall behind or who have additional learning needs. The staff team works hard to support pupils who find it difficult to manage their emotions and behaviour. Support for parents to understand and aid their children’s learning is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school, and attendance is in line with the national average. Pupils work hard in lessons, focusing well, listening to adults and cooperating with each other. Rules and expectations for behaviour are consistently applied and adhered to. The same is true around the school. Older pupils make useful playground helpers and were keen to talk to me about what they do, including making sure that pupils play together sensibly. Among the reasons why pupils enjoy St Mary’s is the breadth of the curriculum on offer. The ‘Rotten Romans’ was certainly inspiring much interest as a theme, as was the good use of local resources such as the Downland Museum and the beach. References to the city are evident in displays throughout the school, and the pupils gain a good understanding of where they are growing up. The school’s Christian character influences the pupils, for example in how they support each other. They have a good understanding of British values such as tolerance and respect for others. Together with other leaders and the staff, you set about tackling the previous inspection’s areas for improvement energetically. You made good progress initially in ensuring that more pupils reached the higher levels and knew how to improve their work. A period of some uncertainty in the last academic year meant that the pace of that work fell back. However, you re-structured the leadership team in September, with two new appointments at assistant headteacher level. Together, you have recovered the momentum of improvement work. You have an accurate view of the school’s effectiveness and are under no illusions about what requires attention; you are moving things forward briskly. Governors are a skilled and effective group, and have excellent links to the local area. They are effective in holding you and your leadership team to account, alongside providing support where required. They ensure that their training is up to date, including on vital areas such as staff recruitment. Safeguarding is effective. Pupils are safe and well cared for. As they step off the bustling roads around the school, they know their safety is paramount to the staff. The leadership team has ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. There is a strong culture of vigilance. Pupils said that staff are approachable and an adult will help them if they have any worries. Pupils appreciate the care and concern that staff have for their welfare and well-being. The school goes the extra mile to support families, some of whom noted their gratitude for sensitive support provided in times of trouble. The school makes good use of local agencies too in meeting families’ needs. You ensure that staff receive regular training. They know how to keep children safe from the dangers of abuse, sexual exploitation and radicalisation, including online. Pupils were keen to talk about lessons covering online safety. Safeguarding records are assiduous and of high quality. Noteworthy cases receive the personal attention of you and the chair of governors so that any concerns are identified and addressed quickly.