Hopwood Hall school is a calm and welcoming place. Pupils settle into school well and quickly form positive relationships with pupils and staff. As a result, pupils who have struggled to attend school in the past attend well and thrive here. Leaders have high expectations that all pupils will attend regularly and re-engage with learning, and they do. Pupils show respect and care for each other. Disruptions to learning and disagreements between pupils are rare. Any issues that do occur are resolved quickly by skilful and patient staff who know the pupils and their needs very well. Staff are alert to bullying and it is not tolerated. Parents and carers express their delight with the way staff care for their children. They value the support provided for pupils to achieve success, develop confidence and gain life skills. The curriculum is tailored to pupils’ interests, for example discovering the joy of music and finding the confidence to perform to an audience. Leaders prioritise pupils’ mental health and well-being so that they can learn to learn again. Academically, pupils enjoy a range of subjects that are taught by subject specialists. However, leaders do not check that this is being done effectively often enough or that teachers’ assessments of pupils’ starting points and academic targets are accurate. This means that teachers do not always adapt the curriculum to address pupils’ starting points accurately.