The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Good quality teaching and learning have been sustained effectively and improved in many areas. You have successfully preserved and enhanced the welcoming family atmosphere of this small school which sits at the heart of the hamlet. One parent accurately described the school as ‘the lynchpin of the community’. Through innovative use of social media, events such as fitness challenges, special lunches, fayres and many varied fundraising activities are well attended and highly valued. You have dedicated numerous additional hours in the recent consultation procedures to fight on behalf of the school as it faced the threat of closure. One governor stated to me that it is to your great credit that you and all school staff have remained impeccably professional and committed to your primary role of teaching, nurturing and developing the children. I completely concur. You acknowledge that now is the time to press ahead and embed the many changes you and the staff team have implemented in the last year. Your significant teaching commitment ensures that you have daily contact with all pupils, as well as teaching most days in the key stage 1 class. As a result, you know the school’s strengths and weaknesses inside out. This is reflected in your incisive and honest self-evaluation upon which you have based detailed and sensible actions for further improvement. Planned actions are clearly measurable, time related and subject to rigorous monitoring and evaluation. Termly updates are provided for governors. There is a perceptible commitment and dynamism shown by all staff. A culture has been established in which teachers and teaching assistants reflect carefully on the effectiveness of planned activities. No one is afraid to hold up their hand if learning has been insufficiently effective. Consequently, challenges are faced together as part of a united and strong team, eager for constant improvement. You have ensured that the areas for improvement raised in the previous inspection have been addressed successfully. Significant investment in training and support to enhance the professional expertise of staff in the teaching of mathematics resulted in a rise both in pupils’ attainment and in the pace of their progress. Since then, the school has moved forward to address issues in the quality of writing, including handwriting, grammar and punctuation. You acknowledge that, to some extent, you have taken your eye off the ball with regard to embedding the changes made in mathematics. Work is still needed to consistently provide suitably challenging work and to develop pupils’ skills in reasoning activities. Pupils are extremely well behaved, polite and courteous. They are extremely proud and appreciative of their school. They value highly its rural setting and spacious and inviting grounds. Lunchtimes are sociable, friendly times when the whole school sits together to eat healthy food cooked on the premises. Pupils freely explore the wooded area at breaktime, but also as part of their innovative extended curriculum. Despite its many strengths, you believe that an upcoming curriculum review will address existing issues around consistency in assessing and tracking pupils’ skills in all curricular subjects. Safeguarding is effective. You have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Policies, procedures and records are of good quality and regularly updated by the office manager. You also check these records regularly. Staff and governor training is thorough and up to date, including training to ensure that recruitment procedures are watertight. Pupils are kept safe from the risk of extremism and online dangers. Certificates from staff training are retained as records of attendance. Staff have access to well-written policies and guidance and have a secure understanding of their responsibilities for safeguarding pupils. Under the watchful eye of all staff at your small, family-oriented school, no stone is left unturned to ensure that all pupils are safe and have opportunities to thrive. You know every family and child well, and are completely aware of even the smallest concern or worry. You have also ensured that the curriculum supports pupils well in maintaining their own safety. Pupils know the dangers of social media and understand they should never post personal details online. Pupils have full trust in their teachers and teaching assistants who look after them and report feeling safe all of the time. They assured me that any minor disputes are immediately and effectively dealt with by all adults.