George Hastwell School Special Academy

George Hastwell School is a warm and inclusive special academy where all pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities and an EHC plan. Pupils feel safe, valued and a strong sense of belonging, and they benefit from caring relationships with staff and a wide range of pastoral and therapeutic support. Personal development is a notable strength, with community outings, careers guidance, work experience and Duke of Edinburgh opportunities helping to prepare pupils for adult life. Safeguarding is effective. However, several areas are not yet good enough. The curriculum has been thoughtfully designed and communication and reading are strengths, but teaching is not consistently adapted to pupils' individual needs. Target setting and review are inconsistent, some activities do not engage pupils closely enough, and some pupils consequently struggle to settle or avoid learning. Leaders and those responsible for governance also lack rigorous oversight of how well the curriculum is being implemented, including in early years and the sixth form. The school has a new headteacher who took up post in September 2024 and is in the process of moving from The Fells Multi-Academy Trust to The Eden Academy Trust. The new trust is providing effective and substantial support, while the previous trust has acknowledged that its capacity to support the school has not been as it should be. The school has made significant curriculum improvements, but it now needs to embed them consistently so that all pupils learn as well as they should.

Strengths

• Warm, inclusive school community where pupils feel safe and valued
• Strong, caring relationships with adults who know pupils well
• Wide pastoral and therapeutic support helps pupils feel happy and safe
• Curriculum thoughtfully designed around pupils' complex needs and sequenced clearly
• Staff reinforce and revisit learning regularly, including informally during the day
• Strong focus on communication and language with personalised pathways and strategies
• Reading is prioritised, with secure understanding of pupils' reading development and well-matched phonics
• Pupils typically behave well, and staff respond quickly and successfully to distress
• Personal development is central, including community outings, Duke of Edinburgh and residential experiences
• Careers advice and guidance significantly improved, with employer visits and work experience
• Staff value well-being and workload support and are proud to work at the school
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers lack confidence and expertise to adapt teaching to pupils' individual needs
• Target setting and review are inconsistent, so some pupils do not learn as well as they should
• Learning activities are sometimes not matched closely enough to pupils' needs, leading to disengagement and avoidance
• Leaders and governors do not have rigorous enough oversight of curriculum implementation
• The curriculum is not yet sufficiently embedded across the school, including early years and sixth form
• The previous trust acknowledges its capacity to support the school has not been as it should be

In 2024–25 pupils at George Hastwell School Special Academy attended 86.2% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 36.5% 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, 0.0% of pupils at George Hastwell School 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 George Hastwell School Special Academy had 6.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.8% 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 George Hastwell School Special Academy had 99 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; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder.

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 2023–24 George Hastwell School Special Academy received £31,062 and spent £32,593 for each of its 90 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £496,000 (£5,511 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of The Eden Academy, income was £33,687 and spending £32,852 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 Barrow-In-Furness · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

George Hastwell School Special Academy is part of The Eden Academy, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Branthwaite Academy Workington
• James Rennie School Carlisle
• Hexham Priory School Hexham
• Pinn River School Eastcote
• Pentland Field School Uxbridge
• Alexandra School Harrow
• Moorcroft School Uxbridge
• Grand Union Village School Northolt

What is George Hastwell School Special Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for George Hastwell School Special Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was George Hastwell School Special Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

George Hastwell School Special Academy was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does George Hastwell School Special Academy have?

George Hastwell School Special Academy has 99 pupils on roll.

What age range does George Hastwell School Special Academy cover?

George Hastwell School Special Academy for pupils aged 3 to 19.

What are George Hastwell School Special Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is George Hastwell School Special Academy?

George Hastwell School Special Academy is at Moor Tarn Lane, Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 3LW.