The school is smaller than most secondary schools. Students come from mainly White British backgrounds. A small number of students are at the early stages of learning English, mainly those who come from Eastern European countries. The proportion of students supported through school action is broadly average. The proportion of students supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational need is well-above average. The school has a specially resourced provision for students with physical or visual impairment. It can take up to 20 students, but currently has fewer than this. The proportion of students known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funds given to the school by the government for children looked after by the local authority, known to be eligible for free school meals or with a parent in the armed services) is broadly average. Most students receive their education on site. A small number attend local colleges for vocational courses, and a group of other students attend ‘On Track’ or ‘Active Support’, local organisations that work with students who are at risk of being excluded from school. The school has experienced significant changes in its senior leadership team and at head of department level since it was last inspected. The school is due to become an academy on 1 April 2013, and will be part of the Barnfield Federation. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for students’ progress and attainment in English and mathematics.