Pupils feel understood in this inclusive school. This helps them to quickly form trusting relationships with staff. Staff take the time to identify and plan support to overcome pupils’ barriers to learning. Pupils quickly form new friendships. They mix happily together at breaktimes, playing football with staff or looking at fossils foraged from trips to the beach. Expectations of behaviour are clear. Pupils value reward points they get for showing good manners. They proudly spend their reward points in the ‘Star Shop’ to buy new books. Pupils report that while bullying is not common, their peers often use derogatory language. There is currently not a consistent approach used by all staff to ensure that pupils understand why this language is unacceptable. Recently, leaders have become more ambitious about what their pupils will learn and achieve. Pupils now enjoy a curriculum designed to teach them the skills and knowledge they need for later life. However, a significant number of pupils struggle to read confidently and fluently. Staff absence has meant that phonics and reading support is not consistent. In addition, staff do not always have the expertise required, nor do they fully utilise high-quality texts, to deliver the daily reading practice effectively. Therefore, not all pupils have the reading skills they need to access the school’s curriculum.