Oak Wood Secondary School

Oak Wood Secondary School is performing well and has been recognized as a good school. The school has undergone significant changes, resulting in positive outcomes for pupils. The strong emphasis on preparing students for life after school, including support for college and employment opportunities, is a notable strength. Additionally, the curriculum has been broadened and is designed to meet the needs of all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Overall, pupils are happy, safe, and well-supported in their learning journey.

Strengths

• Pupils are well prepared for life after school with effective career education.
• The curriculum is ambitious and includes a wide variety of subjects.
• Pupils engage well in lessons with effective support for SEND.
• There is a strong focus on reading and phonics, leading to many pupils reading fluently.
• Pupils benefit from a variety of extra-curricular activities that support personal development.

Areas for Improvement

• The school lacks an accurate view of how well the curriculum is being delivered.
• The assessment system for measuring the impact of the curriculum over time is not well developed.

In 2024–25 pupils at Oak Wood Secondary School attended 90.0% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 26.0% 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, 2.9% of pupils at Oak Wood Secondary School 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 Oak Wood Secondary School had 7.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.5% 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 Oak Wood Secondary School had 168 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.

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 Oak Wood Secondary School received £28,642 and spent £24,179 for each of its 175 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,128,000 (£6,444 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Central England Academy Trust, income was £10,818 and spending £10,437 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 Nuneaton · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

Oak Wood Secondary School is part of Central England Academy Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Oak Wood Primary School Nuneaton
• Higham Lane School Nuneaton
• Higham Lane North Academy Nuneaton
• Michael Drayton Junior School Nuneaton
• Beaufort School Birmingham

What is Oak Wood Secondary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oak Wood Secondary School is Good, from an inspection in October 2023.

When was Oak Wood Secondary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Oak Wood Secondary School was last inspected in October 2023.

How many pupils does Oak Wood Secondary School have?

Oak Wood Secondary School has 168 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oak Wood Secondary School cover?

Oak Wood Secondary School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

Where is Oak Wood Secondary School?

Oak Wood Secondary School is at Morris Drive, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 4QH.