George Hastwell School Special Academy is a special academy in Barrow-in-Furness, Westmorland and Furness, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 7 other needs.
- Ages 3–19
- 99 pupils
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 99 (places for 90)
- Headteacher
- Nicola Bower (Headteacher)
- Part of
- The Eden Academy
- Opened
- 1 September 2015
- Free school meals
- 66.3% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Westmorland and Furness
- School reference (URN)
- 141993
Needs it supports
10 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 8 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (9)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (5)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (4)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (7)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (4)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (4)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (3)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (3)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (3)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in Westmorland and Furness (8)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Westmorland and Furness council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Graded by area, November 2024
Inspected in November 2024. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- Early yearsRequires improvement
- Sixth formRequires improvement
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Moor Tarn Lane, Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 3LW
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Vickerstown School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.5 miles
- Greengate Junior School Mainstream + base · Ages 7–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.6 miles
- South Cumbria Pupil Referral Service Alternative provision · Ages 7–16 · Ofsted: Good 2.2 miles
All SEND schools in Westmorland and Furness
By need in Westmorland and Furness: Autism (10) · Physical (9) · Severe learning (8) · Speech and language (6) · SEMH (5) · PMLD (5) · Dyslexia and SpLD (5) · Hearing (4) · Vision (4) · Multi-sensory (4) · Moderate learning (3)
Questions about George Hastwell School Special Academy
How do I get a place at George Hastwell School Special Academy?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult George Hastwell School Special Academy. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does George Hastwell School Special Academy support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does George Hastwell School Special Academy take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is George Hastwell School Special Academy’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is George Hastwell School Special Academy?
Moor Tarn Lane, Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 3LW, in Westmorland and Furness.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.