Since its last inspection, Middlehurst has merged with another all-age special school and currently operates across two sites or centres as an interim measure until its new single site opens in January 2014. The vast majority of pupils attending the two sites have a statement of special educational needs. In addition, a small number of pupils attend ‘Inspire’ on the Middlehurst site, which caters for permanently excluded primary age pupils from Stoke, for assessment of their needs. The school provides for pupils with complex and profound learning difficulties, severe and moderate learning difficulties, autistic spectrum conditions and behavioural difficulties. The school covers six key stages and caters for pupils between the ages of 3 and 19. Pupils are able to join the school at any age but the majority of those not attending Inspire, start at usual school entry times. There were no pupils in the very small post-16 group or the small group for those with more complex profound and multiple difficulties in school at the time of the inspection as they were away on a residential visit to the Lake District. Half of the school’s pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which is above the national average. (The pupil premium is additional funding provided to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children looked after by the local authority and the children of armed service families.) There are twice as many boys as girls in the school and the majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The school provides an outreach service for mainstream schools in the Stoke area and it enables a small number of links with mainstream education for its own pupils. Link courses are in place for older pupils at Reaseheath College, Stoke College, Newcastle College and occasionally with an external training provider. The school has achieved Artsmark, Sportsmark and Healthy Schools status.