Oak Lodge School, Southampton
Oak Lodge School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Southampton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Oak Lodge School in detail
Oak Lodge School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Oak Lodge school, a specialist secondary school on the edge of the New Forest National Park for around 160 pupils aged 11-16. Our nurturing and therapeutic learning environment caters for students with a range of needs including Autistic Spectrum Condition; social, communication and sensory needs; severe, moderate and specific learning difficulties and mental health needs."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Oak Lodge School are Dibden Park School (0.9 miles, selective); Bower Lodge School (0.9 miles); Oaktree Education Services Limited (2.8 miles); and The Polygon School (3.4 miles, Good).
Dibden Park SchoolBower Lodge SchoolOaktree Education Services LimitedThe Polygon School
Where pupils go next
Of the 38 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 92% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 87% to a further education college.
Who goes there
48.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.9% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (88%) and Mixed (6%).
Almost every pupil at Oak Lodge School has an education, health and care plan (173 of 173 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Oak Lodge School provides for pupils with autism and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Beaulieu Road Rail Station, about 3.3 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is College Only (se-bound), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Oak Lodge School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 28 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hampshire (72).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Oak Lodge School issued 25 suspensions, 15.2 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from November 2012, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2012 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
48.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Autism, MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Oak Lodge School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oak Lodge School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oak Lodge School is in Hampshire; for families living there:
Apply to Hampshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 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
Area Demand Pressure - Southampton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southampton
Across Hampshire council
Places available
15,392
Applications
13,874
Got 1st preference
90.1%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across Hampshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
173
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Oak Lodge School provides for pupils with autism and moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
173
Total Pupils
122
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
32
Teachers
5.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,396
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.3%
Overall absence
29.3%
Persistent absence
164
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
Questions parents ask about Oak Lodge School
What are GCSE results like at Oak Lodge School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Oak Lodge School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 1.9. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Oak Lodge School's Ofsted rating?
Oak Lodge School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Oak Lodge School?
No fixed boundary. When Oak Lodge School is oversubscribed, Hampshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Oak Lodge School?
Oak Lodge School has around 173 pupils on roll. 49% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Oak Lodge School have specialist SEN provision?
Oak Lodge School provides for pupils with autism and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Oak Lodge School?
11.3% of sessions were missed at Oak Lodge School in 2024/25. 29.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Oak Lodge School?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Oak Lodge 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 Lodge School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Oak Lodge School?
Oak Lodge School is at Roman Road, Dibden Purlieu, Southampton, Hampshire, SO45 4RQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)