Oakdale Junior School

Oakdale Junior School is a welcoming, happy and safe school where pupils behave exceptionally well and are positive about learning. The quality of education and leadership are strong, while behaviour and personal development are particular strengths. Pupils, including those with SEND, are supported to do their best and most achieve well by the time they leave. The school offers an exemplary range of enrichment, including clubs, trips, visitors and cultural activities that develop pupils personally. Reading is prioritised and pupils who need extra help receive effective, well-trained support. Safeguarding is effective. The main area for improvement is the curriculum in a few subjects, where recent changes are not yet fully embedded. In these subjects, leaders have not precisely identified the important content pupils should learn over time, so teachers are less clear about the small steps to check and build on, and pupils do not learn as well as they could. In most other subjects, the curriculum is structured well and builds on prior learning. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and, under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade was given. Inspectors found leaders and governors understand the school’s strengths and priorities, staff are well supported, and parents appreciate the nurturing education provided.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, safe and behave exceptionally well in lessons and around school.
• Pupils understand and apply the Oakdale Charter, showing respect, reflection, resilience, resourcefulness and responsibility.
• The school provides an exemplary range of enriching activities that support pupils’ personal development.
• Pupils, including those with SEND, are well supported and most achieve well by the time they move on.
• Reading is prioritised, with careful identification and highly trained staff helping pupils catch up.
• The curriculum matches national expectations in most subjects and builds well on prior learning.
• Teachers encourage pupils to discuss their learning and make links across topics.
• Governors and leaders understand what the school does well and what needs to improve.
• Staff are proud to work at the school and are well trained and supported.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, curriculum changes are not fully embedded and important content is not precisely identified over time.
• In these subjects, teachers are not clear enough about the small steps pupils need to learn and build on, so pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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 Oakdale Junior School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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 Oakdale Junior School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Oakdale Junior School had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 11.8% of pupils at Oakdale Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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

In 2025–26 Oakdale Junior School received £7,272 and spent £7,113 for each of its 357 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £127,000 (£356 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 Redbridge · Redbridge local authority: places and applications

What is Oakdale Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oakdale Junior School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Oakdale Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Oakdale Junior School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Oakdale Junior School have?

Oakdale Junior School has 357 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oakdale Junior School cover?

Oakdale Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Oakdale Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Oakdale Junior School?

Oakdale Junior School is at Oakdale Road, Redbridge, South Woodford, London, E18 1JX.