Cambian Spring Hill, Ripon
Cambian Spring Hill is a special school for pupils aged 8 to 19 in Ripon. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cambian Spring Hill in detail
Cambian Spring Hill in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, cricket, cooking, gardening, Duke of Edinburgh, forest school and cheerleading.
Source: The school's own website
What parents say
10 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cambian Spring Hill (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Cambian Spring Hill has an education, health and care plan (34 of 34 in 2026).
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Cambian Spring Hill.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ripon Golf Club (n-bound), 390 metres away.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at understanding each pupil's individual needs and building their confidence through highly personalised support. Pupils develop valuable life skills and character traits like resilience, with all students progressing to further education or employment. The school creates a calm, happy environment where pupils feel supported both academically and personally.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional personal development support that builds pupils' confidence and life skills through character education awards and practical learning
- Strong careers guidance from Year 9 onwards, with all pupils progressing to further education or employment
- Extensive community involvement and enrichment activities, including enterprise curriculum where pupils make products to sell
- Calm, supportive learning environment where pupils behave well and feel happy
- Sixth form students receive tailored transition support to college or work
Areas for Improvement
- No strategic approach to teaching reading, meaning it is not taught as consistently or effectively as it could be
- Staff do not quickly identify and address gaps in pupils' basic English skills, leading to repeated mistakes in written work
- Reading support for struggling readers is not consistently matched to individual learning gaps
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with clear systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Enterprise curriculum, visits to places of worship, Black History Month events, Remembrance Day activities, college visits, independent travel training, work experience placements
Cambian Spring Hill is a special school for pupils with autism spectrum disorder aged 8-19. The school prioritises building strong relationships and provides highly personalised teaching that helps pupils achieve well and move successfully into further education or employment.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
10 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Social & online
Keep up with Cambian Spring Hill
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in North Yorkshire is 3 (the median across 382 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
68%
Available places
34 pupils
50 places
16 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Ripon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ripon
Across North Yorkshire council
Places available
7,086
Applications
5,586
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All secondary applications across North Yorkshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
34
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Cambian Spring Hill is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
34
Total Pupils
25
Boys
9
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Cambian Spring Hill
What are GCSE results like at Cambian Spring Hill?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Cambian Spring Hill can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Cambian Spring Hill's Ofsted rating?
Cambian Spring Hill was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2025.
Does Cambian Spring Hill meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in February 2025, Cambian Spring Hill met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Cambian Spring Hill?
Cambian Spring Hill has around 34 pupils on roll.
Does Cambian Spring Hill have specialist SEN provision?
Cambian Spring Hill is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Cambian Spring Hill?
Cambian Spring Hill is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Cambian Spring Hill?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in North Yorkshire is 3 (the median across 382 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cambian Spring Hill?
Cambian Spring Hill is at Palace Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 3HN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)