St Mary’s was federated with Cuckmere House School at the time of the last inspection. Since September 2012, the federation has expanded and become The SABDEN (Social and Behavioural Difficulties Emotional Nurturing) Federation. In addition to St Mary’s and Cuckmere House, it now includes New Horizons School, Lansdowne Secure Unit and College Central, which is a county-wide pupil referral unit. It is a small special school for boys with severe and complex behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. The number on roll has grown by around a fifth since the last inspection, and this includes a few primaryaged pupils where there were none on roll at that time. The school has a small residential facility for up to 12 pupils. Arrangements for its use are flexible, with different pupils spending varying numbers of nights there. There were seven residential pupils on the days of the inspection. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan. All pupils have a White British heritage. About a tenth are children who are looked after by the local authority. The school receives pupil premium funding for almost two thirds of its pupils, which is much higher than the national average. Pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and for children who are looked after. The school also receives additional funding for primary school physical education and sport. There has been very significant restructuring of the school’s leadership since the last inspection. The head of school took up post in September 2012, and in the following year two new assistant headteachers were appointed. Most middle managers are also new to their role. Pupils do not attend any other schools or alternative off-site education providers apart from a few who make use of the special activity unit at Cuckmere House. A link with Bishop Bell School is used for assessing pupils’ work in vehicle maintenance, but not for teaching the course.