Oak Lodge School, London

Good
Special
Community special school
Mixed
Ages 1019
Boarding school

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Caroline Rowlandson
Pupils:96 / 100 capacity
LA:Wandsworth
Phone:02086733453
Address:101 Nightingale Lane, Balham, London, SW12 8NA
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Inspected 23 April 2025View full report
URN:101094
UKPRN:10004829
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Tooting
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Oak Lodge School excels at supporting the whole child - not just academics but also their emotional wellbeing and confidence. The school creates a genuinely inclusive community where deaf and hearing staff work together as positive role models, and pupils develop a strong sense of their own culture while learning to respect others.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils develop resilience, maturity and self-belief through strong personal development work
  • Teaching of communication skills is woven throughout the curriculum
  • Positive role models from both deaf and hearing communities support pupils' academic and personal growth
  • Strong links with local colleges give sixth form learners good access to relevant courses
  • Pupils behave well and treat others with respect

Areas for Improvement

  • Teaching is not consistently adapted based on what teachers know pupils can and cannot do
  • Some adults do not demonstrate accurate letter and number formation when setting tasks
  • Sixth form learners need more extended work experience opportunities to better understand the workplace

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with secure staff suitability checks, consistent training, and clear identification of key staff through photographs and posters so pupils know who to approach with concerns.

Extracurricular Activities

Yoga, tai-chi, dog-walking, musical instrument tuition, sporting activities, annual art exhibition, cultural events

Oak Lodge School is a good school where pupils make solid progress across a range of subjects and develop strong personal and communication skills. The school has recovered well from a period of leadership difficulty with effective support from governors.

At a Glance

69.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

HI - Hearing Impairment, SLCN - Speech, language and Communication

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Wandsworth Common Rail Station
438m · 7 min walk
Wandsworth Common (Entrance)
486m · 8 min walk
Balham Rail Station
734m · 12 min walk

Tube / Metro / Tram

Balham Underground Station
675m · 11 min walk
Balham Station
679m · 11 min walk
Clapham South Underground Station
876m · 14 min walk

Bus Stops

Oak Lodge School (->W)
159m · 3 min walk
Ramsden Road Balham (->W)
238m · 4 min walk
Bolingbroke Grove / Ravenslea Road (Stop L)
292m · 5 min walk
Granard Road (Stop J)
377m · 6 min walk
Bracken Avenue (Stop ST)
435m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

96%

Near capacity

96 pupils

100 capacity

4 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - London

Medium pressure
New homes approved:104,823
Projected new pupils:18,868

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for London

Admissions Demand - Wandsworth

Low demand1.04x oversubscription

Places available

2,095

Applications

2,182

Got 1st preference

64.3%

Got preferred school

92.9%

Secondary admissions across Wandsworth (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

23 April 2025
25 February 2020
4 May 2016
Good
Leadership & ManagementGood

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

9.52824%

Overall absence

42.55319%

Persistent absence

47

Enrolments

Authorised7.71186%
Unauthorised1.81638%
Persistent (10%+)42.55319%
Severe (50%+)2.12766%

Absence trend

9.35699%
18/19
9.94987%
20/21
13.6037%
21/22
12.53139%
22/23
10.3328%
23/24
9.52824%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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Feeder Primary Schools

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