All students have a statement of special educational needs for moderate to severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Some students have additional complex learning, sensory or physical needs; there is a growing number of students with high dependency medical needs or autism spectrum conditions. About a third of students are in the sixth form and this is a growing area of the provision with an agreement with the local authority to take an additional 30 students. Although the majority of students join the school at Year 7, they can be admitted at any time in their secondary education, sometimes after periods out of school, due to the breakdown of previous placements. An extremely high proportion of students are supported by the pupil premium, which provides extra funding for those students who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority. The proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language is also high, at more than twice the national average. Some of the most able students in the sixth form are based at a satellite provision in North Manchester General Hospital. Students at Key Stage 4 attend courses at Hopwood Hall College. Students attend work-experience placements with a range of providers in the community. The school is commissioned by the local authority to offer outreach support, guidance and training to mainstream schools in the north district of Manchester. The school has achieved Rights Respecting Schools Awards.