Oak Haven School, Heywood

What it's like to be a pupil at Oak Haven School

Pupils receive a warm welcome each day in a calm, well-organised environment. Clear routines help them settle quickly and feel ready to learn. Staff understand each pupil's individual needs, including their social, emotional and mental health needs. They provide thoughtful support from the moment pupils arrive. Many pupils join the school after periods of disengagement from education. Staff rebuild pupils' confidence successfully so that they feel safe, valued and ready to engage. As a result, pupils attend school more often. This has been a significant success for the school since they opened as a new provision in September 2025. Parents and carers speak highly of the difference the school has made to their children's wellbeing and their renewed positive attitude to their education. Secure, trusting relationships between pupils and staff underpin the school's success. Together, they embody the school's values of 'empower, heal and thrive' in daily interactions. Staff support pupils sensitively, helping them to increasingly manage their emotions and develop positive attitudes to learning. Behaviour is typically calm and purposeful across the school. Pupils treat each other with kindness and respect. Staff respond promptly to any concerns, this includes any instances of bullying. Over time, pupils feel included in school life, develop a sense of community and take pride in their achievements. The school provides a broad, meaningful curriculum that links learning well to pupils real-life experiences. Teachers typically adapt learning carefully to meet each pupil's needs. Pupils receive effective support to share their ideas, make choices, develop independence and begin to recognise that they can achieve well. Some pupils achieve formal qualifications such as GCSEs, while others gain awards that reflect their personal progress. In either instance, pupils are typically prepared well for their next steps. Pupils benefit from various community visits and outdoor learning that build confidence and independence. They also learn important life skills, such as how to travel to different local places or using the 'life skills room' to practice daily tasks like cooking or managing a flat independently.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders should ensure that teachers choose tasks that deliver the intended curriculum and gives pupils the opportunity to practice and apply their knowledge.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently provide useful feedback and give pupils opportunities to correct and improve their work.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers address and improve weaknesses in pupil's writing skills. This includes ensuring that their work is grammatically correct with accurate spelling and/or handwriting.
• Governors and leaders should ensure that other leaders within the school improve their oversight of their areas of responsibility so they have a firm understanding of what is working well and where further improvements are required.

Oak Haven School excels at welcoming pupils who have struggled with education and helping them feel confident and ready to learn again. Staff understand each child's individual needs and provide thoughtful, personalised support that has successfully rebuilt many pupils' positive attitudes to school. The warm, respectful relationships between staff and pupils, combined with a broad curriculum linked to real-life experiences, create an inclusive environment where pupils feel valued and part of the community.

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils feel safe.

Friday Wellbeing sessions including hair and beauty, bow and arrows, circus skills and construction, British Sign Language lessons, school council, visits to Rochdale Town Hall, visits to local colleges, apprenticeship exhibitions, fundraising events

Bus Stops