Havenswood Academy

Welcome to the future - and to Havenswood Academy - a warm, inclusive school designed for neurodivergent children. Here, learners can thrive without the overwhelm of multi-storey buildings, crowded classrooms, long corridors, or overstimulating spaces. Instead, we’ll offer calm, nurturing environments where every child feels safe, supported, and ready to learn.

A bright, spacious communal room with large windows, multiple seating areas including blue sofas, dining tables with chairs, individual study cubicles with green and wood accents, and a cozy tent with a bean bag chair in a corner. The room has a modern, minimalistic design with light wood flooring and ceiling with cloud-shaped lighting fixtures.
A group of young adults in a modern, bright lounge or study area with large windows, sitting and working on laptops, reading, or chatting.

Havenswood Academy is an alternative provision school designed for neurodivergent learners (those with Autism, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome and related conditions) who are capable of studying at age-related levels.

It’s for the many students who don’t have complex learning needs or require learning disability support, but who cannot thrive without personalised teaching and accessible, specialised environments. Right now in Scarborough and the coastal regions, these children have little or no access to a full-time, comprehensive education.

In Scarborough, our special schools are designed primarily for children with complex learning needs, which means they cannot offer the breadth of curriculum available in mainstream settings. Yet many neurodivergent children are bright - some exceptionally so - and fully capable of studying and achieving excellent exam results and successful futures. Without access to full-time education, these children are abandoned and left behind. They deserve equal access to education and the same rich curriculum as their neurotypical peers - one that allows them to pursue their interests, enjoy learning, and fulfil their potential.

Our tailored environment will be designed to provide accessible spaces and bring together a more comprehensive curriculum, with the right resources, teaching styles, and wellbeing support to help students succeed. This will open up fairer opportunities for children and families, while also filling a much-needed gap in local special-education provision.
A young girl with long brown hair wearing purple and pink headphones, sitting at a wooden table, watching a laptop screen intently with her hands clasped under her chin.
Three children working on a robotics project with wires and electronic components at a table in a classroom or maker space.
Close-up of a young boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, looking at the camera near colored pencils, with two children and a woman smiling in the background.

‘NO’ to long journeys and out of area placements!

Many children who live on the coast are forced to travel 30–50 miles every day to Thirsk, Ripon, or Harrogate to access schools with specialist facilities and an ambitious curriculum. This means aound 3 hours of travel daily on slow, country roads. For neurodivergent students, these long journeys are exhausting and disruptive. 

It’s time to bring that provision home to Scarborough! 

Instead of long, difficult journeys, Havenswood Academy, will be here in Scarborough, providing specialist, neurodivergent support to children and teens in our own community. We’ll offer calm, consistent classrooms with reduced sensory distractions, bespoke learning, clear routines, and plenty of room for each child’s unique personality. 

Our school will be based in a peaceful environment, designed to nurture wellbeing and make learning feel accessible and enjoyable. It will look different to conventional school buildings and we’ll hire teachers who understand that anxiety or sensory differences are not problems to “fix,” but are an integral part of how each student learns best.

A woman and a boy working on a computer in a home office, with the woman pointing at the monitor, and both focused on the screen.
A classroom with students raising hands at their desks while a teacher stands at the front.

Every student will enjoy:

  • Access to a comprehensive, age-appropriate curriculum. From Key Stage 2 through GCSEs, with post-16 pathways into A-levels and confident transitions into further/ higher education/ the workplace OR a tailored curriculum designed to suit specific, individual needs.

  • Small classes, low stress environments and one-to-one support that blend academic learning with therapy, creative expression, and practical life skills

  • Use of our Wellbeing Centre

  • Strong partnerships with families, through the facilities provided in our family support centre, so that everyone feels heard, respected and part of the journey.

A young woman with curly black hair wearing glasses and a dark green shirt, sitting at a desk with a laptop, smiling and resting her chin on her hand, in a bright room.

Side by Side with Mainstream Education

In line with the government’s new, three-tier support framework, Havenswood Academy will provide flexible support pathways:

As well as offering permanent placements for those who need them, we’ll also work closely with local schools to offer short-term placements for children who are temporarily finding mainstream environments difficult, giving them the specialist support to build confidence and return successfully to their mainstream classroom.

Our Bridging Team will work across sites, spending time in local schools to share good practice and offer therapeutic and expert help where it’s needed….and because children learn best when families feel supported too, our parent support services will help strengthen the connection between home and school.

Schools that understand neurodivergence, meet need, offer flexibility, and work in partnership with families are named again and again in parent questionnaires as the single most important factor in the wellbeing of their children…and so our mission is urgent.

At Havenswood Academy, we’ll be proud to offer this rare combination of high aspirations and all round supportive care, right here in our community…. BUT we can only do it with your support. Help us lobby North Yorkshire Local Authority to commission a school in Scarborough.

Hit the button below to see how you can help!

Support our Campaign

(* All drawings and photos are representative of the spaces we want to create)