There is clear evidence of achievement being high for ability in a significant number of cases. Some recorded examples of pupils' composition and performance are of exceptional quality. A level results broadly reflect pupils ability. The use of IT is unusually well developed. The quality of learning is sound or better in almost all cases.
Pupils are well behaved and keen to learn.
Where there is frustration the causes lie in class size, time, resource and space deficits. Pupils show good collaborative skills. They are happy to take decisions about and responsibility for their own work and make sensible records of their progress. Teaching is sound or better in nearly all lessons, some outstanding examples being in evidence in year 9, key stage 4 and the sixth form. Expertise in music technology and computers is of an unusually high quality, as is mastery of a wide range of musical genres.