Overall effectiveness: Good with outstanding features.

This is a good school. School leaders know their pupils very well. Teaching is typically good and there are some examples of outstanding teaching.

All groups of pupils make good progress in all aspects of their learning. This is almost always from a very low starting point.

Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning in class and they behave exceptionally well around the school site.

School leaders, including members of the governing body, are ambitious for the school.Governors play a full role in raising standards at the school.

The achievement of pupils is good. There is a secure trend of improvement over time, with more pupils gaining good GCSE passes A* to G.

The quality of teaching is good. Lesson planning is well organised, teacher expectations of pupils are high.

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding. Exceptionally skilful behaviour management systems have been developed by school leaders.

Pupils are very proud of their achievements. Pupils speak with warmth about their successes in physical challenges away from school.

“Specialist departments such as child protection, horticulture, catering and the residential care team set extremely high standards that they adhere to and consistently seek to improve. This is also true of the behaviour management specialist team.”

“Most residential pupils succeed in this setting following failure in other schools…..The activities programme equips residential students with life skills that they can utilise in adulthood”.

“Residential staff are well supported in their role through termly supervision and because they are aware - “The Head of Care and senior management are passionate about their roles and demonstrate a commitment to the continual development and improvement of boarding”

"Leadership and management of the residential provision are outstanding" The residential provision is valued highly for the overall contribution it makes to the school and for the role it plays in the personal development of each residential pupil.