The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school. The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average, while the proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is high. The proportion of students from minority ethnic heritages is above average, the largest group being of Pakistani heritage. A high proportion of students speak English as an additional language including new arrivals from Eastern Europe who are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for students in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals, is above the national average. Twenty-six students follow a variety of full- or part-time alternative courses at Telford College of Arts and Technology, Walford College, Lord Silkin, Nova Training and AFC Telford United. The majority of students are entered for mathematics GCSE during their final year while a small number are entered in Year 10. The school meets the current government floor standards for secondary schools, which set the minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress. The school runs a breakfast club every morning. The proportion of students who arrive at the school at times other than the start of Year 7 is above average. The Hadley Learning Community includes primary and special school provision managed by the same governing body. In addition there is children’s centre provision managed by the local authority. The secondary phase only was inspected during this inspection. The school took over the management of the off-site Queensway HLC Autistic Unit on 1 September 2013.