South Lakes Academy, Kendal
South Lakes Academy is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 25 in Kendal. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
South Lakes Academy in detail
South Lakes Academy in its own words
In its own words: "Founded in 2016, South Lakes Academy is an Alternative Provision education establishment for students who, for a number of reasons, are unable to attend a mainstream school. At South Lakes Academy we will provide a safe, supportive learning environment with opportunities for each student to develop the skills and knowledge to become a responsible, successful citizen."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to South Lakes Academy are Sandgate School (0.6 miles, Good); Cambian Whinfell School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, selective); Appletree School (2.3 miles, Good, selective); and Cairn Education CIC (4.4 miles, Good).
Sandgate SchoolCambian Whinfell SchoolAppletree SchoolCairn Education CIC
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at South Lakes Academy has an education, health and care plan (12 of 12 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 760 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Town Hall (at), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 157 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
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's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are happy at this friendly and welcoming school. They appreciate the warm and supportive relationships that they have with adults in the school. Staff help them to feel safe and accepted. This helps pupils to settle into the school day and to be ready for learning.
Pupils behave in a considerate and empathetic manner. They are respectful and understanding of how people are different. Bullying and discrimination are not tolerated and are addressed quickly by the school should they occur.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a curriculum that meets the individual needs and interests of pupils. Pupils' additional needs are identified quickly and the school ensures that they get the further help that they require.
The school's curriculum plans and schemes of work identify the important knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which they should learn it. However, the curriculum is not broad enough for all pupils, particularly at key stage 3. For example, these pupils do not study geography, languages or music. Some pupils do not acquire knowledge across a sufficiently wide range of subjects or within some subjects.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Keep up with South Lakes Academy
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 17 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 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
100%
Full
12 pupils
12 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Kendal
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Kendal
Across Westmorland and Furness council
Places available
2,857
Applications
1,903
Got 1st preference
96.4%
Got preferred school
99.5%
All secondary applications across Westmorland and Furness council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
South Lakes Academy 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
12
Total Pupils
6
Boys
6
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about South Lakes Academy
What is South Lakes Academy's Ofsted rating?
South Lakes Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024.
Does South Lakes Academy meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2024, South Lakes Academy met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to South Lakes Academy?
South Lakes Academy has around 12 pupils on roll.
Does South Lakes Academy have specialist SEN provision?
South Lakes Academy is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to South Lakes Academy?
South Lakes Academy 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 South Lakes Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 17 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Where is South Lakes Academy?
South Lakes Academy is at Riverside Centre, Yard 39, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 4ED.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)