The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You began your role as headteacher in September 2017. You are ambitious for the school and have identified how to make more rapid improvements to build on the successes already achieved. Staff feel valued and welcome the greater rigour in accountability you have introduced as they are keen to do the best job they can so that pupils’ outcomes continue to improve. At the last inspection, leaders were tasked with making more effective use of data. Leaders have since developed their ability to use data more precisely. More accurate and reliable assessment is supporting leaders and teachers in identifying any barriers to pupils’ learning. Subject leaders adjust the teaching approaches used and have sourced additional training so that teachers have better subject knowledge. A further area for improvement was to improve the quality of teaching. Pupils say they love learning and that teachers make it interesting for them by making meaningful links between subjects. They particularly enjoy reading and were keen to show me the well-stocked library. They welcome the greater challenge they now receive and talk about how they can think more deeply and explain their understanding as a result of the new approach to teaching mathematics. Although there have been some encouraging improvements in pupils’ outcomes, there is still work to do as standards remain generally below the national average by the end of key stage 2. Leaders acknowledge the need to sustain more rapid progress for current pupils so that a greater proportion reach and exceed the expectations in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. Similarly, outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, while improving, are also below those of other pupils nationally. Leaders are making sure that teaching is matched to pupils’ starting points and addresses any gaps in their learning. Consequently, current disadvantaged pupils are beginning to make more rapid progress. Leaders are aware that this progress must be sustained so that the difference between disadvantaged pupils’ attainment and that of other pupils nationally diminishes more quickly. There are encouraging signs of improvement in the early years where, as a result of leaders’ actions, children are developing well in Nursery, giving them a much more positive start to Reception. Likewise, interventions to support pupils who began Year 1 below the expected standard have resulted in rapid progress in a short period of time. Leaders are determined to build on this success so that an increasing proportion of children reach a good level of development by the end of Reception. Governors are very clear about the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They challenge and support appropriately so that the school continues to improve. For example, their challenge has influenced the changes made to the appraisal system so that it more rigorously holds leaders, teachers and support staff to account for improving pupils’ outcomes. Safeguarding is effective. A culture of safeguarding is clearly present across the school. This is because leaders and governors take their safeguarding responsibilities very seriously. Safeguarding is an agenda item at every full governing body meeting, which maintains its high profile in the school. You make sure that staff receive regular training updates so that they are effective in recognising and responding to signs of concern. Leaders involve a range of other agencies when there are concerns and keep detailed written accounts of all action taken. Pupils behave very well and say there is rarely any bullying. They feel safe and well cared for in school and parents strongly agree. Records show that leaders and teachers respond with urgency to the rare incidents of poor behaviour and bullying. The curriculum provides countless opportunities to support children in keeping safe. Consequently, pupils talk confidently about how to stay safe, for example when they are online or crossing the road. Inspection findings The proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the end of the early years has been below the national average over time. Provisional data for 2017 indicates that 58% of children achieved a good level of development.