Oakwood High School

Oakwood High School demonstrates a strong performance overall, with a focus on pupil achievement and wellbeing. The inspection highlights the school's commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment where pupils feel a sense of belonging. Pupils generally achieve well, particularly in English, and the curriculum is ambitious, helping them prepare for future education or employment. Attendance rates are high, and behaviour is orderly, with effective support systems in place for vulnerable pupils. The school is valued within its community and benefits from effective leadership that fosters strong relationships among staff and students.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well, especially in English.
• High attendance rates and effective support for vulnerable pupils.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum.
• Strong commitment to inclusion and support for special educational needs.
• Effective leadership that fosters a positive school culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils lack urgency and commitment to learning.

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 High School attended 92.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.0% 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, 7.1% of pupils at Oakwood High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 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 High School had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.9% 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, 18.0% of pupils at Oakwood High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.7% 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 Oakwood High School received £7,473 and spent £7,851 for each of its 1,066 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £651,000 (£611 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Inspire Learning Trust, income was £7,672 and spending £7,698 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 Rotherham · Rotherham local authority: places and applications

Oakwood High School is part of Inspire Learning Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Thomas Rotherham College Rotherham
• Sitwell Junior School Rotherham
• Winterhill School Rotherham

What is Oakwood High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Oakwood High School is Expected standard, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Oakwood High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Oakwood High School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Oakwood High School have?

Oakwood High School has 1,067 pupils on roll.

What age range does Oakwood High School cover?

Oakwood High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Oakwood High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.0, and 41% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Oakwood High School?

Oakwood High School is at Moorgate Road, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S60 2UH.