Pupils do not learn to read in English well enough or soon enough. This means that they are not as prepared as they should be for the next stage of their education or their future lives. There are gaps in pupils’ skills and knowledge in some other subjects. Over time, limited leadership capacity has resulted in aspects of the curriculum lacking ambition. Leaders and teachers are beginning to expect more of pupils, but this is yet to improve the quality of education. Leaders have not ensured that the school meets the requirements of all the independent school standards (the standards). Pupils behave well without the need for reminders from adults. Lessons and breaktimes are calm and relaxed. Pupils enjoy coming to school. This helps keep attendance high. Pupils say that bullying is not a problem here and that they trust staff to deal with any worries they may have. Staff manage such concerns effectively. This ensures that pupils feel safe and are kept safe in school. Parents and carers appreciate the care that staff show towards their children. They also value the way leaders tell them about how their child is doing and what is happening at the school.