Pupils at Dudley Port have usually experienced considerable disruption to their education by the time they join the school. Staff have positive relationships with the pupils and aim to inspire and motivate them to re-engage with learning. The school’s new headteacher and senior leadership team have made recent changes to the curriculum. The curriculum has higher expectations. There is now a sharper focus on the basic skills that pupils need in reading, writing and mathematics. In these, and other areas of the curriculum, more pupils are starting to achieve success. Pupils are proud of their work in food technology lessons. Many work hard to develop their understanding in mathematics and English lessons. However, some of these improvements are quite recent and will take time to have the necessary impact. An increasing number of pupils concentrate in lessons and want to learn. However, some pupils still struggle to engage in learning and instead disrupt the learning of others. The school’s approach to personal development promotes the importance of respect. This includes respect for people with different views or characteristics to themselves. A minority of pupils, however, still make unkind comments and show disrespect to staff and each other. Although some pupils report there is bullying, leaders are addressing this, and pupils are safe in school.