An independent school has been praised for its work to ensure all pupils are included and improve their attendance – but Ofsted inspectors concluded that standards were not met for quality of education or leadership and management.

Alpha Learning Staffordshire, described as "proud to be different" on its website, provides education for pupils with special educational needs and uses sport to engage its secondary school-age students.

In its latest Ofsted inspection, the Burslem centre was found to have met expected standards for attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion and personal development and wellbeing, as well as six independent school standards covering areas including welfare of pupils and suitability of staff.

But achievement and leadership were found to need attention – and independent school standards were not met for quality of education provided and quality of leadership and management.

The report, which has recently been published, said: "Pupils begin to make progress from their starting points when they join the school; many have not achieved their potential in their past school placements.

"At Alpha, they engage better in lessons and are increasingly willing to take part – this is a significant achievement for some (and) some pupils' work shows improvement.

"However, such progress is not consistent for all pupils. For some, persistent absence means they miss important learning.

"Too often, pupils' work is incomplete or not presented clearly; in some cases, handwriting is difficult to read and letter formation inaccurate (and) this makes it harder for pupils to record their ideas accurately and affects their writing fluency.

"When this happens, pupils cannot demonstrate what they know or express themselves clearly; as a result, pupils do not develop knowledge and skills as securely as they should or make the progress they are capable of.

"Leaders understand that pupils' achievement varies and some do not achieve as well as they should – their ambition is for all pupils to achieve their full potential. However, this ambition is not fully realised for some pupils (and) the current systems for monitoring the impact of the school's provision have not ensured that practice and outcomes are consistent across the school."

The school's curriculum was described as "ambitious" and designed to meet pupils' needs however. And many pupils had improved "their behaviour, confidence and ability to manage their emotions."

The report said: "Leaders have successfully created a culture where all pupils feel included. They understand pupils' needs well, including their social, emotional and mental health needs and wider vulnerabilities.

"Staff use detailed pupil profile plans to adapt support effectively; these plans are highly personalised. Pupils benefit from small group teaching, one-to-one support and targeted interventions.

"Relationships are central to this approach and help pupils feel unthreatened and able to express themselves. This helps pupils to settle and take part in lessons.

"Some pupils arrive at this school having rarely attended their previous setting; attendance has been poor for some because of the complexity of their needs.

"Staff track pupils closely and work with families and external agencies to improve from low starting points; they take a proactive approach to reducing barriers to attendance and maintain high expectations for all pupils.

"Many pupils now attend more regularly than they did and enjoy receiving rewards for doing so; this positive relationship in the school acts as motivation for some to attend."

A spokesperson for Alpha Learning Staffordshire said: "We are proud of the improvements made at Alpha Learning and this report reflects the hard work over the last two years from our students, staff, families, partner agencies, and wider community.

"We are pleased that inspectors recognised Alpha Learning is a place where all students are included, they feel safe and happy, and enjoy coming to school.

"Through improved attendance, building relationships with staff and developing the ability of self-reflection students re-engage with education and can achieve their ambitions.

"Our focus is now on developing further, striving to ensure that every student who attends Alpha Learning has access to quality teaching and consistent interventions allowing them to thrive on the next steps of their learning journey."