The school is larger than the average-sized secondary school. The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is below average at 10%. The majority of students are from White British backgrounds. About 21% are from minority ethnic backgrounds, the largest group being of Irish heritage. The proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is low at 3%. The proportion of students supported through the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for students in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals, is below average at about 10%. A very few students in Year 9 attend off-site alternative provision at the Lighthouse when required. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11. The headteacher and the deputy headteacher took up their posts in September 2014, having previously been acting deputy headteachers at the school.