Pupils are extremely positive about their school. Some take time to settle and develop trusting relationships with their peers and staff. Often, this is due to pupils having had unsettling experiences in previous schools. Staff know this. They expect the best from all pupils but are sensitive when pupils struggle. This includes in the school’s health, education, assessment and revitalising therapy (HEART) department, where pupils enjoy additional expert support for their complex needs. Pupils behave exceptionally well, even when struggling to regulate their emotions and anxieties. Staff are adept at managing this and refocusing pupils when there are potential problems. Older pupils set a good example for their younger peers. Discussions with pupils showed them to be positive about what the school offers. They like the staff, including therapists, who they say have great patience and help to keep them safe. All staff work hard to build pupils’ resilience and self-esteem. This was typified by one teacher describing the need to be ‘emotionally astute’ and the absolute imperative for staff to be ‘clever at reading the learners and understand their needs, including their many barriers to achieving’. Inspectors found this to be the case.