The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. There are more boys than girls. The proportion of students supported at school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above that usually found. The proportion of students supported by the pupil premium (additional funding for those students known to be eligible for free school meals, those from service families and those looked after by the local authority) is above average. Nearly half the student population are from minority ethnic heritages, with the largest proportion from the Indian sub-continent. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is three times the national average. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress. Sharples School has been a specialist science college since 2004 and holds the Cultural Diversity Gold Quality Standard and the Leading Parent Partnership Award. It is a nationally accredited Healthy School and has the Football Association Charter Standard. A unit for the hearing impaired and a very small unit for visually impaired students are integrated within the school and many of these students attend mainstream classes. These units are not administered by the school’s governing body. The school does not use any alternative provision. There have been several staff changes since the previous inspection, including the appointment of a new headteacher.