St John Fisher Catholic Academy is a mainstream secondary school with an SEN unit in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. Its SEN unit has 50 places for visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication and autism.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,250 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with an SEN unit
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- An SEN unit, 50 places, 38 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,250
- Headteacher
- Mr Steve Mort (Headteacher)
- Part of
- The Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust
- Faith
- Roman Catholic
- Council
- North Yorkshire
- School reference (URN)
- 148855
Needs its base supports
8 needs: vision, hearing and 6 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (16)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (14)
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (6)
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (13)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (3)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (3)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (5)
It also lists other needs. Ask the school what these are.
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with 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 about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often North Yorkshire council) that you want this school and its base, 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. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
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
Rated Good, December 2022
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in December 2022.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Hookstone Drive, Harrogate, HG2 8PT
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Strive for Education Independent · Ages 14–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.9 miles
- Springwell Harrogate Alternative provision · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.3 miles
- Harrogate, Grove Road Community Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.3 miles
All SEND schools in North Yorkshire
By need in North Yorkshire: Autism (17) · Speech and language (15) · SEMH (14) · Severe learning (8) · Moderate learning (7) · Physical (6) · PMLD (5) · Hearing (4) · Vision (4) · Multi-sensory (4) · Dyslexia and SpLD (2)
Questions about St John Fisher Catholic Academy
How do I get a place in St John Fisher Catholic Academy’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does St John Fisher Catholic Academy support?
Visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, social, emotional and mental health, physical disability and moderate learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does St John Fisher Catholic Academy take?
Aged 11 to 18, boys and girls.
What is St John Fisher Catholic Academy’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in December 2022 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is St John Fisher Catholic Academy?
Hookstone Drive, Harrogate, HG2 8PT, in North Yorkshire.
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.