Oak Bank School, Leighton Buzzard
Oak Bank School is a special school for pupils aged 9 to 19 in Leighton Buzzard. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oak Bank School in detail
Oak Bank School in its own words
In its own words: "Oak Bank works with pupils who have Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. Our aim is to provide each of our pupils with an Education for Life, by valuing and respecting them as individuals, developing their self-esteem and encouraging their individual abilities to their full potential in a caring, orderly environment."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Oak Bank School are Benjamin College (1.3 miles, Good); KWS Milton Keynes (4.5 miles, Good); White Spire School (5.8 miles, Outstanding); and Cambian Bletchley Park School (5.9 miles, Good).
Benjamin CollegeKWS Milton KeynesWhite Spire SchoolCambian Bletchley Park School
What parents say
23 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Oak Bank School (as of September 2025): 87% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 63% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (63%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 21 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 29% to a further education college.
Who goes there
63.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%) and Mixed (15%).
Almost every pupil at Oak Bank School has an education, health and care plan (123 of 123 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Oak Bank School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 127 places, 127 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Leighton Buzzard Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Star (near), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Oak Bank School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Oak Bank School issued 34 suspensions, 27 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are made to feel welcome from the outset. They are cared for by staff who are deeply committed to every pupil being safe, valued and successful. Pupils have had a very disrupted education prior to coming here. This school gives them a lifeline back into learning. Pupils like having their own trusted key worker. All staff know every pupil very well. This ensures pupils' social and emotional needs are universally understood and acted on. Pupils also benefit from a tailored and flexible curriculum. Consequently, most pupils achieve well from their starting points and meet their education, health and care plan (EHC plan) targets.
Pupils respect the school's expectations for their conduct. Staff use their expert knowledge well to support pupils to understand how to manage their thoughts and feelings safely. Pupils are motivated by daily enrichment targets and the much-coveted 'Level 2' reward. They know that any unwelcome behaviours are dealt with swiftly and fairly. Therefore, the school is a positive and orderly place.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has continued to ensure that pupils follow a bespoke mix of academic and vocational pathways. Pupils leave with the required qualifications to access sixth form, college or employment. The school has expanded the range of external providers it works with. Therefore, the curriculum is precisely matched to the interests, talents and needs of the pupils, including the increasing number accessing sixth form.
In addition, the school has refined how well it meets pupils' social and emotional needs, linked to their EHC plans. Leaders have developed a robust system for linking pupils' special educational needs to specific and measurable targets. This is having a positive impact on pupils' readiness to learn, their resilience and their self-esteem.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its March 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
About
Oak Bank School is a co-educational special school with academy status located in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England. The school accepts pupils with educational, health care plans identifying Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH) as the Primary Educational need.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
63.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
23 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 14% (2024 to 2025), while writing has declined from 11% to 0% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Oak Bank School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oak Bank School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oak Bank School is in Central Bedfordshire; for families living there:
- Central Bedfordshire's school travel policy: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
123 pupils
127 places
4 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Leighton Buzzard
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leighton Buzzard
Across Central Bedfordshire council
Places available
1,710
Applications
1,502
Got 1st preference
91.0%
Got preferred school
95.9%
All secondary applications across Central Bedfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
123
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Oak Bank School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 127 places, 127 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
123
Total Pupils
106
Boys
17
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
38
Teachers
3.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,561
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
26.9%
Overall absence
60.3%
Persistent absence
116
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Oak Bank School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Oak Bank School
What are GCSE results like at Oak Bank School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Oak Bank School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 11.8. 5% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Oak Bank School's Ofsted rating?
Oak Bank School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Oak Bank School?
No fixed boundary. When Oak Bank School is oversubscribed, Central Bedfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Oak Bank School?
Oak Bank School has around 123 pupils on roll. 63% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Oak Bank School have specialist SEN provision?
Oak Bank School has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 127 places, 127 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Oak Bank School?
26.9% of sessions were missed at Oak Bank School in 2024/25. 60.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Oak Bank School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Oak Bank School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Oak Bank School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Oak Bank School?
Oak Bank School is at Sandy Lane, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 3BE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)