The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. Alongside governors and staff, you have ensured that St Mary’s remains a happy and thriving community. The charity work undertaken by pupils and the care that pupils show towards each other are testament to the fact that they live out the school’s ethos and values. Pupils are very positive about the school and their learning. They enjoy the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities on offer, from yoga to a range of sports and membership of the ‘Growing in Faith Together’ team. Parents and carers appreciate all that the school does for their children. Almost all parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, indicated that they would recommend the school to others. Typical views from parents included: ‘The school is an excellent environment for my child’s holistic development and progress,’ and, ‘I cannot fault the school.’ Staff are positive about their work. They enjoy being part of a happy community and a school that they feel is improving rapidly. They take pride in their work and are motivated to go on improving the quality of education provided to pupils. You joined the school at the start of the previous academic year at a time when there had been a notable decline in the attainment and progress of pupils. Since your appointment, you have built a new leadership team that has improved the school with urgency and tact. You have been careful to maintain the school’s established strengths. Pupils’ behaviour and attendance remain excellent. Pupils also continue to benefit from a rich and varied range of opportunities to enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. You have ensured that staff share a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and relative weaknesses. As a team, you have focused on addressing the most pressing issues that were preventing pupils from making greater progress in their learning. In particular, you have made significant improvements to teaching in key stage 1 and the teaching of mathematics throughout the school. As a result, pupils are now making considerably more progress and their attainment has increased significantly. The proportions of pupils attaining the expected standards at the end of key stages 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics now compare favourably to national averages. However, the proportions of pupils attaining the higher standards remain below the national average. Leaders have made good progress towards addressing the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Middle leaders now play a much greater role in the development of the school. They have undertaken extensive training which has enhanced their leadership skills and their ability to manage effectively. They have become fully involved in monitoring and evaluating the school’s work and the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning. Despite this, subject leaders have not developed a clear rationale for the design and implementation of the curriculum in their subjects. This has contributed to the weaknesses in the curriculum that remain. Teachers have become more adept at using questioning to enhance pupils’ learning. They now employ a range of strategies and procedures when questioning pupils, which keep all pupils focused and engaged. Teachers are also asking pupils more thoughtful and challenging questions. This helps pupils to think more deeply about their learning. Safeguarding is effective. You have established a vigilant safeguarding culture throughout the school. You have ensured that staff are well trained and alert to potential signs of neglect or abuse. Staff share a clear understanding of the safeguarding risks that are potentially more prevalent in the school’s context, such as the dangers posed online and those risks associated with the school’s location close to a canal. Leaders have ensured that appropriate actions are taken to reduce risk. The school’s approach to e-safety is thorough and pupils’ awareness of risk has been enhanced through assemblies on topics such as water and road safety. You and your staff work productively with parents and a range of external agencies, such as the child and adolescent mental health services, to keep pupils safe. Support for pupils’ emotional safety and well-being is exemplary. Leaders have ensured that all records relating to safeguarding are well maintained and that referrals are made, as appropriate, to external agencies.