Oakwood School

Oakwood School has been identified as having areas of strength, particularly in its commitment to supporting disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has established a nurturing environment where most disadvantaged pupils feel supported and systems are in place to help them close gaps in their academic achievement. Despite rising to some challenges, including improving attendance and students' overall behaviour, the school has made notable progress, particularly in basic skills in reading and mathematics for its key stage 3 pupils. However, significant concerns remain, especially regarding the consistency of teaching quality across subjects, which has led to variable pupil achievement, particularly in national examinations. Additionally, while attendance has improved, too many disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND still do not attend regularly enough. Leadership has been proactive but needs to sharpen their focus on evaluating their impact, which will be essential for closing these gaps and raising expectations for both behaviour and academic outcomes.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, ensuring a safe environment for pupils.
• Strong support systems for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Improvement in attendance and reduction in persistent absence.
• Broad and well-planned curriculum with strong subject knowledge among teachers.
• Engagement in a wide range of extracurricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistency in teaching quality across the curriculum.
• Variable pupil achievement in national examinations.
• Low attendance rates for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Behaviour expectations are not consistently applied by staff.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Oakwood School attended 90.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 27.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 5.2% of pupils at Oakwood School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Oakwood School had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 14.7% of pupils at Oakwood School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 12 pupils.

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Oakwood School received £7,857 and spent £7,841 for each of its 1,610 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,557,000 (£1,588 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Horley · Surrey local authority: places and applications

What is Oakwood School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oakwood School is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Oakwood School last inspected by Ofsted?

Oakwood School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Oakwood School have?

Oakwood School has 1,610 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oakwood School cover?

Oakwood School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Oakwood School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.9, and 30% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Oakwood School?

Oakwood School is at Balcombe Road, Horley, Surrey, RH6 9AE.