Breakspeare school educates pupils who have severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties. Some have additional needs such as visual impairment, hearing or sensory impairment or a physical disability. A minority have complex medical needs, including a few with life threatening medical conditions requiring a minimum of full time one-to-one staff support to meet their needs. A growing proportion of pupils have autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). All have statements of special educational needs. The school is organised into three sections: early years (ages 3 to 7), middle school (ages 7 to 14) and the upper school enterprise department (ages 14 to 19). Numbers vary in each year group, there being no pupils in Year 9. Currently, the majority of pupils are boys. There are similar proportions of pupils of White British heritage and minority ethnic backgrounds, the largest group being of Pakistani origin. A small minority are from families where English is an additional language and a very few are in local authority care. The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium, which provides additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in local authority care and children from service families, is below the national average. Sixth form students attend West Herts College for one day a week to follow nationally recognised qualifications courses. The school holds the Department for International Development’s Full International Schools Award in recognition of its partnerships with school across the world.