Oakfield Academy

Oakfield Academy is a welcoming and supportive school where pupils behave well, attend regularly and benefit from a broad curriculum taught by subject specialists. Safeguarding is effective, inclusion is a strength, and the Mighty Oaks specially resourced provision supports pupils with SEND well. Personal development, careers education, extracurricular activities and leadership are also positive features, with trust support helping to drive improvement. However, achievement remains a significant concern. National test outcomes at the end of Year 6 have been persistently below national average in reading, writing and mathematics combined, and in reading and mathematics individually; writing is broadly in line with national expectations. Disadvantaged pupils underperform significantly compared with disadvantaged peers nationally, and too many pupils are not yet well prepared for their next stage in education. Leaders are taking appropriate action and improvements are beginning to close gaps for some pupils, but these gains are not yet reflected in outcomes for many. This was a full section 5 inspection. The school is part of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, and both the executive headteacher and head of school are new since the previous inspection. Most staff are positive about support from school and trust leaders, though a significant minority of parents and carers feel communication could be more timely and comprehensive. Overall, the school meets expected standards in most areas, but achievement needs attention.

Strengths

• Pupils are welcoming, supportive and show positive attitudes to learning, with little low-level disruption.
• Attendance is broadly in line with national average, and leaders act decisively on absence trends.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and effective response to concerns.
• Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum taught by subject specialists, with clear knowledge sequencing and retrieval practice.
• Staff make effective adaptations for pupils with SEND, including sentence starters, visual prompts and regular check-ins.
• Inclusion systems identify barriers and additional needs well, including assessments on entry in Year 5.
• The Mighty Oaks specially resourced provision helps pupils with SEND to thrive.
• Funding for disadvantaged pupils is used appropriately, including behaviour interventions that reduced removals from lessons.
• Leaders have a secure understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement and are ambitious for pupils.
• The trust provides considerable guidance and expertise, and governance fulfils statutory duties.
• Staff benefit from a comprehensive professional learning programme and opportunities to network across the trust.
• The personal development curriculum is age-appropriate, relevant and includes British values, careers education and protected characteristics.
• Pupils access strong pastoral support and a broad extra-curricular programme, including clubs, trips and residentials.
• Pupils develop confidence and responsibility through roles such as library monitors, prefects, sports leaders and academy council members.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' overall attainment in national tests at the end of Year 6 has been persistently below national average.
• Reading and mathematics outcomes are below national average, while only writing is broadly in line.
• Disadvantaged pupils' achievement is significantly below that of disadvantaged peers nationally.
• Too many pupils are not acquiring sufficient knowledge and skills to be well prepared for their next stage in education.
• Some gaps in pupils' knowledge persist for a minority despite recent curriculum and teaching improvements.
• Recent improvements are not yet reflected in outcomes for many pupils.
• A significant minority of parents and carers say the school's communication with them could be more timely and comprehensive.

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 Oakfield Academy attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.6% 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, 10.0% of pupils at Oakfield Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Oakfield Academy had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.1% 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, 15.5% of pupils at Oakfield Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 2024–25 Oakfield Academy received £8,594 and spent £8,967 for each of its 529 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £373,000 (£705 per pupil).

Across all 41 schools of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, income was £8,730 and spending £8,608 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 Frome · Somerset local authority: places and applications

Oakfield Academy is part of Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, which runs 43 schools. The nearest others:

• Trinity Church of England First School Frome
• Critchill Special School Frome
• Selwood Academy Frome
• Frome Community College Frome
• Hemington Primary School Radstock
• Leigh On Mendip School Radstock
• Somerset Studio School Radstock
• Writhlington School Radstock
• Shoscombe Church School Bath
• Trinity Church School Bath

What is Oakfield Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oakfield Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Oakfield Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Oakfield Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Oakfield Academy have?

Oakfield Academy has 490 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oakfield Academy cover?

Oakfield Academy for pupils aged 9 to 13.

What are Oakfield Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 47% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Oakfield Academy?

Oakfield Academy is at Oakfield Road, Frome, Somerset, BA11 4JF.