Pupils who attend this new specialist setting benefit from strong relationships with staff. Pupils say that they can talk to staff and believe that they will help to resolve any problems. However, the curriculum is not adapted well enough to match some pupils’ needs. In addition, leaders have not made sure that the school’s admissions procedures are strong enough to ensure that pupils’ needs are well matched to what the school can provide. Leaders demonstrate a determination to improve the school. They listen to pupils and take their views into account. School governors invite pupils to their meetings to tell them about their experiences of the school. As a pupil explained, ‘This school isn’t perfect yet, but it’s trying to be perfect.’ Small groupings enable staff to get to know and understand pupils’ social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs well. This helps some pupils who have found it challenging to access education in the past to become more secure in attending school. Staff are developing consistent approaches to managing the sometimes challenging behaviours that pupils show. However, the school is not a consistently calm place to learn.