Springwater Academy, Harrogate
Springwater Academy is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Harrogate, part of The Ascent Academies' Trust.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Springwater Academy in detail
Springwater Academy in its own words
In its own words: "We are a vibrant special school based in Harrogate which caters for children and young people with an EHCP aged 2 - 19 years old. We offer places to children and young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), physical difficulties (PD)."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Springwater Academy are Henshaws College (0.5 miles, Good); Strive for Education (1.7 miles, Good); and The Forest School (1.9 miles, Requires improvement).
The trust
Springwater Academy is one of 6 schools run by The Ascent Academies' Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
43.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 10.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (79%) and Mixed (6%).
Almost every pupil at Springwater Academy has an education, health and care plan (145 of 145 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Springwater Academy provides for pupils with other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Starbeck Rail Station, about 400 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Avenue (ne-bound), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 72 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in North Yorkshire (9), 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
Springwater Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in November 2025. Before that, as Springwater School (URN 121776), it was rated Outstanding in July 2015.
At a Glance
43.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Other, Speech and language, Autism +4
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby schools
Keep up with Springwater Academy
Before and after school care
Springwater Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in North Yorkshire
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Springwater Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Springwater Academy is in North Yorkshire; for families living there:
Apply to North Yorkshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 10 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle.
0 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 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
94%
Near capacity
145 pupils
155 places
10 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Harrogate
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Harrogate
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.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
145
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Springwater Academy provides for pupils with other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
145
Total Pupils
97
Boys
48
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
6.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£57,832
Mean salary
2026 data
Absence at Springwater School before it took its current form in 20252024/25
Published for Springwater School (URN 121776), the school Springwater Academy replaced. There are no figures for Springwater Academy yet, so these are shown separately.
10.8%
Overall absence
32.8%
Persistent absence
67
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Springwater Academy
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Springwater Academy
What is Springwater Academy's Ofsted rating?
Springwater Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in November 2025. Before that, as Springwater School (URN 121776), it was rated Outstanding in July 2015.
What is the catchment area for Springwater Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Springwater Academy is oversubscribed, North Yorkshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Springwater Academy?
Springwater Academy has around 145 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Springwater Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Springwater Academy provides for pupils with other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
How do I apply to Springwater Academy?
Apply through North Yorkshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Springwater Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Springwater Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Springwater Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Springwater Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 10 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle. 0 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 North Yorkshire is 3 (the median across 382 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Springwater Academy?
Springwater Academy is at High Street, Starbeck, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 7LW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)