All pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan due to autism spectrum disorder. Pupils are welcomed into school by caring staff who go out of their way to help them engage in learning, play and enjoy school. The youngest pupils thrive in the nurturing environment provided for them. Their communication and language skills are developed well. Early reading is taught effectively. High expectations and established routines ensure younger pupils behave well. However, this is not built-upon and maintained throughout the school. Pupils feel safe. Bullying does happen but pupils say they know who to talk with to help them sort things out. A small minority of pupils with different, more complex needs become regularly disinterested in learning. Incidents are not well managed by staff. When there is very challenging behaviour it disrupts the learning of others. Trust leaders and the local authority have not worked together well enough to ensure that the school is best placed to meet the needs of these pupils. The majority of pupils engage well in reading and mathematics. In the afternoons, some disengage from learning because the wider curriculum does not retain their interest. Practical learning in cooking, music, art and design, and wider enrichment activities, which pupils enjoy, are underdeveloped.