The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Since the previous inspection, the designation of the school has changed and the types of special needs that the school caters for has, accordingly, also changed. You have designed a new curriculum to meet these changes, while maintaining the ethos and culture of the school that: ‘enables pupils to make progress towards being independent individuals who can organise and manage themselves as learners and members of a community’. You and your team have developed a happy and supportive learning community. Positive and caring relationships between staff and pupils were evident throughout the school on the day that inspectors visited. Pupils are happy to come to school, and one parent told us that their child would even like to come at weekends. The whole-school breakfast club provides pupils with a very calm start to the day. Pupils have the opportunity to speak to an adult about anything worrying them, before the formal lessons start. This means that all the time in class can be focused on learning. The introduction of the forest school has proved very popular with pupils. The activities successfully help to build pupils’ communication skills, as well as developing their problem-solving, planning and risk-assessment skills. Leaders have developed useful research links with a university, which has been used to give staff greater understanding of the needs of the pupils at the school. Leaders have developed the specialist curriculum around this research. The curriculum builds social-thinking skills in the pupils, as well as emotional control. Leaders are developing ways for parents and carers to be able to continue this work at home as well. Personal development, behaviour and welfare remain strengths of the school. Staff and parents agree that pupils’ behaviour is managed very well. Your new curriculum combines specialist, social and emotional learning alongside academic subject learning. You have recognised that you now need to build on your work to identify ways to stretch the academic learning of the most able pupils, without inhibiting their progress in these other areas. The governing body knows the strengths of the school very well. Governors are enthusiastic about the school and have a strong level of involvement. They are aware that they have a shared responsibility for putting checks in place, rather than relying on the roles of individual governors. Parents are extremely positive about the school, and are very pleased with the way that their children have developed with their behaviour and communication skills. They said how much their children enjoy coming to this school. One parent stated that leaders and all teachers ‘go the extra mile’ to ensure the best for their children, as they understand the challenges that children at the school face. Parents who met with an inspector said that their children had improved in all aspects of their learning and are becoming much more independent with their work. They did say, however, that they would appreciate more communication about the academic progress of their children. Staff enjoy their work at the school, saying that they feel very well supported by leaders in all aspects of their work. Middle leaders are passionate and dedicated in their work. They have a clear vision for how they will refine the new curriculum so that it matches the needs of all pupils, and the most able in particular. Safeguarding is effective. Leaders are relentless in ensuring that the school is a happy, safe and secure place in which pupils can learn and progress. Staff are regularly trained in all aspects of safeguarding. They clearly know and understand what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil’s welfare. Safeguarding is a focus within weekly staff meetings. The single central record of staff suitability checks meets all requirements, and there is a strong induction process for new staff. Members of the governing body have completed safer recruitment training, and there is a named governor for safeguarding who checks paperwork and practice on a regular basis. During the inspection, and in the pupil survey, pupils reported that they feel safe at school. They know who to speak to if they have a problem. Parents also told us that their children feel happy and safe at school and they are confident in the way that any issues are dealt with.