The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school. Since the last inspection, there has been a period of significant change for this small school including your appointment as headteacher, the expansion of the school in numbers and accommodation, and a time of uncertainty within the school’s staffing. During this time, you, middle leaders and governors have risen to these challenges. You and your leaders have clearly identified areas for school development, and ensured that in 2017 standards at key stage 1 have risen to above national expectations and that standards in key stage 2 in reading and writing are following suit. As headteacher, you provide a clear vision and act as a strong professional role model for staff and pupils. Your open lines of communication mean that parents and pupils are clear that you will listen to them if they raise any concerns. As headteacher, you are held in high regard by the school community. Parents are very strongly of the view that the school is well led and managed. Governors know their school well. They challenge school leaders effectively. For example, they ask probing questions and seek out the information they need to inform them about the progress pupils make. They provide a clear strategic direction for the school. At the time of the last inspection, the school was asked to make sure that groups of pupils know clearly what they have to do to achieve their targets. Also, leaders were asked to ensure that pupils use resources and strategies effectively to complete tasks to a high standard. During the inspection, there was evidence that pupils have access to a range of tasks suitable for their needs. In discussions, pupils were clear what they had to do to meet their targets. Different groups of pupils are well supported by teachers and teaching assistants. For example, pupils used a range of strategies in mathematics lessons to help them to learn effectively in their calculation work. The school was also asked to strengthen its communication systems at the time of the last inspection. The inspection found that leaders and governors are open and keen to communicate with all the school community. Informative and regular newsletters, use of new communication technologies, and the personal example set by the headteacher and staff have led to pupils and parents feeling a part of the school community. Parents would strongly recommend the school to others. Safeguarding is effective. School staff know the pupils in their care and their families well. Leaders ensure that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are carefully maintained. The school communicates clearly that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Regular training means that school staff know what to do if they have a concern about a child. Governors monitor the school’s safeguarding work for example, through the completion of audits on safeguarding and talking with children to make sure that they feel safe. Safeguarding is a standing agenda item at all governors’ meetings. Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They are clear that they know whom to talk to if they have a worry or concern and that adults will quickly help them. Parents strongly agree that their children are happy, safe and well looked after in school. Pupils have a clear understanding of bullying and say this does not happen often and that it would be sorted out briskly. This is confirmed in the school’s records and by parents’ responses Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. The curriculum helps pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe, for example when using the new technologies and the internet. Pupils are enthusiastically taking part in the newly developed equalities team. Inspection findings During the inspection I investigated how well pupils do in key stage 1. In 2016 at the end of Year 2, fewer pupils reached the expected standard for their age than nationally, particularly in writing. You, and the middle leader for English, were quick to identify reasons why this happened. The plans and support for teachers and pupils that you put in place have been effective in raising standards in key stage 1. In 2017, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standards for their age are at or above that found nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils reaching a greater depth in their learning by the end of key stage 1 has also risen in reading and mathematics. All Year 1 pupils reached the national phonics check in 2017. Current pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 demonstrate a sound grounding in phonics which they use well when reading and when spelling words for their own writing. Pupils who have just entered Year 1 already demonstrate the ability to write their own legible and plausibly spelt sentences. Pupils in Year 2 read and write with enthusiasm and take pride in their work. I looked at how well different groups of pupils do at the school. Leaders track pupils’ progress carefully. They put in place interventions to help boost pupils’ learning swiftly. These are reviewed regularly to ensure that they are effective in rapidly improving pupils’ learning. As a result, the progress of current pupils, including the most able pupils and those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, has improved. As part of your response to the 2016 results, you have ensured that pupils entering key stage 2 who were not at the expected standard for their age are now catching up. The work of pupils with middle and low prior attainment in particular shows that their progress has improved. I looked at standards in mathematics, particularly in key stage 2. Pupils across the school speak with enthusiasm about their work in mathematics. Scrutiny of pupils’ work, and particularly the work of pupils in Years 3 to 6, shows that teachers plan tasks to build on pupils’ previous learning over time. Teachers are using the school’s assessment and tracking system to accurately identify pupils’ strengths and weaknesses in mathematics. You have correctly recognised that, to improve the numbers of pupils who achieve well in mathematics, including at a higher level, pupils need to deepen their reasoning and understanding of mathematical concepts. You have tackled this with urgency, planning timetables to incorporate a specific time when core mathematical skills are consolidated. As a result of the changes you are making, the progress of current pupils is improving. Mathematics is clearly identified as a key focus of the school’s and governors’ development planning for this year. There are only small numbers of disadvantaged pupils at the school. Similarly, there are few pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Over time, these pupils make similar, and sometimes better, progress from their starting points to other pupils. The school’s governors have a clear rationale for the spending of the additional funds for these pupils to boost their progress and attainment. Next steps for the school Leaders and governors should ensure that: teachers provide further opportunities for the pupils to develop their reasoning skills, and deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts and skills the improvements in pupils’ writing continue so that a higher proportion can write with increasing complexity. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Bath and Wells, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Bath and North East Somerset. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Sarah O’Donnell Ofsted Inspector Information about the inspection I met with you, middle leaders and governors. We talked about developments in the school since the last inspection. I looked at safeguarding records and tested out your recruitment and vetting procedures. I held discussions with governors, including the chair of the governing body, and talked with a representative of the local authority. I talked to teachers and support staff around the school. Together, we visited lessons and carried out a learning walk across the school. We talked to pupils about their learning and looked at their books. I asked pupils to read to me from the texts they were working on in their classes, from their work and from their reading books. I observed and talked to pupils at breaktime and I met a group of pupils to talk about their life at school. I considered the 17 responses Parent View and the 17 comments submitted.