Oakleigh School is a special school catering for pupils aged from two to 11 years with severe and complex learning difficulties. The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for students known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority. In common with other schools with primary-aged children, the school also receives the primary physical education and sport premium, designed to help primary schools improve the quality of the physical education and sport activities they offer their pupils. A large majority of pupils are from minority ethnic groups, covering a wide range of backgrounds. The majority are from homes where English is spoken as an additional language. The school’s early years centre provides services for children aged from birth to five years with a range of special educational needs. The provision includes a home teaching service for families whose children are not in early years settings or schools. The children who come into the early years centre go on to a wide range of educational provision when they are five. This inspection focused solely on those children aged 2–5 years in the nursery and reception classes. The Acorn Assessment Centre is based on two sites: Oakleigh School and Colindale Primary School, on the other side of Barnet. It caters for children aged from two to five years who have a wide range of special educational needs. These include children with specific medical conditions, physical disabilities, social and communication disorders, sensory impairments, autism spectrum conditions and/or other learning difficulties. The two Acorn classrooms at Colindale are subject to exactly the same leadership and management as those at Oakleigh. The school uses no alternative provision.