Pupils happily attend this small, calm and caring school. Staff meet and greet each pupil with a welcoming smile. They understand pupils’ personal and academic needs and act quicky if a pupil is worried or anxious. Pupils feel listened to and valued and have no concerns about bullying. Staff create a sense of togetherness that permeates through the whole school. This makes school a safe place where pupils grow in confidence, behave well, work hard and learn lots. One pupil summed this up, saying, ‘Everybody gets on well with everybody else here.’ All pupils have had a chequered experience of education. Many have not attended school regularly for a long time. This means they have significant gaps in their learning. Staff tackle these head on, working to identify and address these gaps to help pupils catch up. The caring ethos is complemented by leaders’ academic aspiration for pupils. All have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Staff encourage pupils to aim high and celebrate success. Pupils work towards a range of qualifications that will help them take their ‘next steps’. Leaders weave pupils’ careers education, academic curriculum, and personal, social and health education (PSHE) together into an ambitious package.