Springwell Special Academy

Springwell Special Academy has been rated as good overall, reflecting positive aspects of education, behavior, personal development, and leadership despite a previous outstanding grade. The school's environment promotes positive relationships, fostering a calm setting that is conducive to learning. Staff are attentive to the needs of pupils, particularly regarding their emotional and mental health challenges, and utilize effective de-escalation strategies to minimize disruptions. However, the school is facing challenges with sufficient training for staff on new phonics programs and high levels of absence that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Strengths

• Positive relationships between staff and pupils create a supportive learning environment.
• Leaders have successfully introduced a broad curriculum that responds to pupil needs.
• Effective support systems in place for pupils' special educational needs.
• Strong focus on personal, social, and health education throughout school activities.
• Governance and leadership show strong awareness of challenges and responses to them.

Areas for Improvement

• Limited training for staff on the new phonics program affects reading instruction.
• Older pupils needing reading support are not receiving adequate interventions.
• High absence rates impacting educational benefit for pupils.

In 2024–25 pupils at Springwell Special Academy attended 70.7% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 57.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.3% of pupils at Springwell Special Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Springwell Special Academy had 9.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Springwell Special Academy had 136 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Springwell Special Academy received £29,034 and spent £27,210 for each of its 122 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £361,000 (£2,962 per pupil).

Across all 25 schools of Wellspring Academy Trust, income was £12,764 and spending £12,663 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Barnsley · Barnsley local authority: places and applications

Springwell Special Academy is part of Wellspring Academy Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• Oakwell Rise Primary Academy Barnsley
• The Forest Academy Barnsley
• Oakhill Primary Academy Barnsley
• Greenacre School Barnsley
• Joseph Norton Academy Huddersfield
• Elements Primary School Leeds
• Springwell Leeds Academy Leeds
• Victoria Primary Academy Leeds
• Ebor Gardens Primary Academy Leeds
• Bramley Park Academy Leeds

What is Springwell Special Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Springwell Special Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2022.

When was Springwell Special Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Springwell Special Academy was last inspected in May 2022.

How many pupils does Springwell Special Academy have?

Springwell Special Academy has 136 pupils on roll.

What age range does Springwell Special Academy cover?

Springwell Special Academy for pupils aged 5 to 16.

What are Springwell Special Academy's GCSE results?

In 2024 its average Attainment 8 score was 6.4, and 0% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are Springwell Special Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Springwell Special Academy?

Springwell Special Academy is at St Helen's Boulevard, Carlton Road, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S71 2AY.