The school is larger than the average-sized secondary school. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority. Most pupils are of White British heritage. Few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average. The school meets the current government floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11. There are five alternative providers currently used by the school for a very small number of pupils. They are: Ethos College; New Directions College; Edgerton College; Kirklees College and Westfields Pupil Referral Unit. The school holds the Artsmark Gold award. The school hosts a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs. The unit caters for 20 pupils who have been diagnosed as having autistic spectrum disorder. The headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection, starting on 1 January 2014. The school has received support from a national leader in education, the Principal from Moor End Academy, to strengthen leadership in the school. It has also used support from Penistone Grammar School and Temple Moor High School to check and improve pupils’ progress in mathematics, science, history, geography and religious education. In September 2014, the school changed its status from a community school to a foundation school, creating The Honley Co-operative Learning Trust.