Springwater Academy is a special academy in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, for children and young people aged 2 to 19. It supports speech and language, autism, multi-sensory and 3 other needs.
- Ages 2–19
- 145 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 145 (places for 155)
- Headteacher
- Mr Mike Finlay (Head Teacher)
- Part of
- The Ascent Academies' Trust
- Opened
- 1 November 2025
- Free school meals
- 41.6% of pupils eligible
- Council
- North Yorkshire
- School reference (URN)
- 151754
Needs it supports
7 needs: speech and language, autism and 5 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
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (7)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in North Yorkshire (4)
Sensory and physical
- Multi-sensory 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 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 North Yorkshire 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
Rated Good, June 2022; school remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (December 2019)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in June 2022.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, December 2019).
Contact and getting there
High Street, Starbeck, Harrogate, HG2 7LW
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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
- Henshaws College Independent · Ages 16–25 0.5 miles
- Knaresborough St John's Church of England Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 4–11 · Ofsted: Good 1.4 miles
- St John Fisher Catholic Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 1.5 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 Springwater Academy
How do I get a place at Springwater 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 Springwater Academy. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Springwater Academy support?
Speech, language and communication, autism, 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 Springwater Academy take?
Aged 2 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Springwater Academy’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in June 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 Springwater Academy?
High Street, Starbeck, Harrogate, HG2 7LW, 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.