Cairn Education CIC, Cumbria

Special
Other independent special school
Mixed
Ages 1125

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Miss Rachael Thompson
Pupils:10 / 10 capacity
LA:Westmorland and Furness
Phone:01539822304
Address:The Tavern, 63 Main Street, Cumbria, LA8 9LN
Status:open
Opened:7 January 2022

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 6 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Strong Standard
Behaviour
Strong Standard
Personal Development
Strong Standard
Leadership
Strong Standard
Inspected 17 March 2026View full report
URN:148796
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Westmorland and Lonsdale
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school excels at rebuilding confidence in young people who have experienced long periods away from education. Staff take time to know pupils well, identify their interests and provide the precise support they need to manage their emotions and behaviour. As a result, pupils develop positive attitudes to learning and move on to meaningful employment or further education.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils make notable progress and re-engage with learning, with all 2025 leavers progressing to employment, further education or training
  • Attendance improves considerably once pupils join the school, with persistent absence reducing significantly
  • The school provides a calm, orderly environment where pupils feel safe and develop confidence to learn
  • Staff skillfully identify pupils' interests and remove barriers to learning through precise support
  • Curriculum is broad, engaging and carefully adapted to meet pupils' individual needs and fill gaps from previous absence

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and acted upon, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Work experiences through links with local employers and colleges, careers advice and guidance, relationships and sex education programme, activities focused on personal development and wellbeing, discussions on ethical issues and environmental matters

Cairn Education CIC is a specialist school for pupils with autism who have experienced significant barriers to learning and disengagement from education. The school has achieved a strong standard rating across all areas, with leaders and staff highly committed to helping pupils re-engage and progress.

At a Glance

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Staveley Rail Station
243m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

100%

Over capacity

10 pupils

10 capacity

0 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Cumbria

Low pressure
New homes approved:27
Projected new pupils:5

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Cumbria

Admissions Demand - Westmorland and Furness

Low demand0.68x oversubscription

Places available

2,864

Applications

1,955

Got 1st preference

96.7%

Got preferred school

99.7%

Secondary admissions across Westmorland and Furness (2025/26)

Inspection History(3)

17 March 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
14 February 2023
16 November 2021

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Feeder Primary Schools

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