The Oakwood Academy

The Oakwood Academy has demonstrated good overall effectiveness in its recent inspection, showing significant improvement since its last rating of requires improvement. The school fosters a positive and inclusive environment where pupils feel happy and safe, with high expectations set for behavior and academic achievement. The leadership team, with support from the Redhill Academy Trust, has focused on delivering a rich curriculum that prepares students for their future education and careers. While the school excels in many areas, challenges remain, particularly in ensuring all pupils achieve their potential in line with curricular improvements. Attendance, although being addressed effectively, and some aspects of teaching effectiveness still require attention.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and safe in a supportive environment.
• High expectations for behavior and academic achievement.
• Well-structured curriculum that builds learning step by step.
• Effective leadership with a clear vision for improvement.
• Strong focus on reading and supporting literacy development.
• Diverse extracurricular offerings that enhance learning.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Active engagement in promoting equality and respect.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding effectively.
• Attendance rates need improvement as some pupils miss lessons.

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 The Oakwood Academy attended 88.0% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 33.4% 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, 15.4% of pupils at The Oakwood 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 The Oakwood Academy had 14.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.3% 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, 18.6% of pupils at The Oakwood Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.8% 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 The Oakwood Academy received £10,894 and spent £10,688 for each of its 748 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,028,000 (£1,375 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Redhill Academy Trust, income was £7,880 and spending £7,947 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 Nottingham · Nottingham local authority: places and applications

The Oakwood Academy is part of Redhill Academy Trust, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Park Vale Academy Nottingham
• Redhill Academy Nottingham
• Robert Mellors Primary Academy Nottingham
• Colonel Frank Seely Academy Nottingham
• Carlton Academy Nottingham
• The Carlton Junior Academy Nottingham
• The Carlton Infant Academy Nottingham
• Hall Park Academy Nottingham
• South Nottinghamshire Academy Nottingham
• Farmilo Primary School and Nursery Mansfield

What is The Oakwood Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Oakwood Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was The Oakwood Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Oakwood Academy was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does The Oakwood Academy have?

The Oakwood Academy has 737 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Oakwood Academy cover?

The Oakwood Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Oakwood Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.7, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Oakwood Academy?

The Oakwood Academy is at Bewcastle Road, Warren Hill, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 9PJ.