Spring Common Academy

Spring Common Academy is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19, all of whom have an education, health and care plan. Inspectors found a caring school where positive relationships, usually calm behaviour and improving attendance are important strengths, and safeguarding is effective. The school is part of Horizons Education Trust and has had substantial recent leadership change; this was its first section 5 inspection since converting to academy status, although it was previously judged outstanding as Spring Common School.

Strengths

• Warm, caring relationships between staff and pupils
• Usually calm behaviour and effective routines
• Improving attendance, supported by rewards and encouragement
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Strong advocacy for pupils with SEND, including medical support
• Effective sensory and practical methods in hydrotherapy and swimming
• Careers events and volunteering that build confidence and prepare pupils for the future
• Governance is improving and becoming more strategic
• Staff generally feel well supported and positive about workload

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum lacks clear sequencing of knowledge, vocabulary, concepts and skills
• Expectations of what pupils should achieve are not shared consistently across subjects and phases
• Early years resources are not used effectively because staff lack sufficient guidance
• Assessment checks are too broad, so gaps in understanding are sometimes missed
• Phonics teaching and resources are not consistently matched to pupils’ assessed stages
• Reading teaching is not evaluated well enough to identify and address weaknesses
• Agreed communication strategies are not used consistently, limiting pupils’ understanding and independence
• Curriculum leadership lacks clarity and subject knowledge to support ambitious teaching
• Oversight of the quality of education has not been robust enough
• Personal development is weakened by inconsistent communication support

In 2024–25 pupils at Spring Common Academy attended 86.0% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 40.7% 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 Spring Common 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 Spring Common Academy had 8.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.8% 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 Spring Common Academy had 211 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; 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 Spring Common Academy received £25,760 and spent £27,135 for each of its 202 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £279,000 (£1,383 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Horizons Education Trust, income was £27,658 and spending £29,003 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 Huntingdon · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

Spring Common Academy is part of Horizons Education Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Prestley Wood Academy Alconbury Weald
• Riverside Meadows Academy St. Neots

What is Spring Common Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Spring Common Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Spring Common Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Spring Common Academy was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Spring Common Academy have?

Spring Common Academy has 211 pupils on roll.

What age range does Spring Common Academy cover?

Spring Common Academy for pupils aged 2 to 19.

What are Spring Common Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is Spring Common Academy?

Spring Common Academy is at American Lane, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 1TQ.