Oakfield High School and College, Wigan
Oakfield High School and College is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Wigan. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oakfield High School and College in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Oakfield High School and College are The Parks School (1 mile, Good); Newbridge Learning Community (1.9 miles, Good); Fix-It (UK) Ltd (2.2 miles); and The Holden School (2.4 miles).
The Parks SchoolNewbridge Learning CommunityFix-It (UK) LtdThe Holden School
Where pupils go next
Of the 68 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 10% to a further education college.
Who goes there
51.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 5.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Oakfield High School and College has an education, health and care plan (413 of 413 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Oakfield High School and College provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hindley Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Oakfield High School & College (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Oakfield High School and College stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Oakfield High School and College issued 19 suspensions, 4.8 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from April 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Oakfield High School and College is a serene and inspiring place where pupils, including students in the sixth form, flourish. All pupils who attend the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
Pupils thrive at this school because staff understand and meet their needs exceptionally well. Staff build strong, supportive and nurturing relationships with pupils. This helps pupils to feel listened to, valued and respected. Pupils are very happy to attend school each day and they greet their teachers with a smile in the morning.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a highly ambitious and effective curriculum. It has thought carefully about the important knowledge and skills that pupils should learn. The curriculum helps staff to prepare pupils extremely well for the next phase of their education.
Staff have a detailed understanding of the curriculums that they deliver. They use their strong subject knowledge to provide clear explanations to pupils. Furthermore, staff make regular and systematic checks on what pupils know and remember. Staff use this information well to address any gaps or misconceptions that may arise in pupils' understanding. Pupils build their knowledge securely over time. Pupils gain an impressive range of qualifications that prepare them well for further education, training, including apprenticeships, or employment.
From Ofsted's July 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 April 2014 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
About
Oakfield High School and College is a special school based in Hindley, Wigan. The most recent Ofsted inspection rated the school as "Outstanding".
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
51.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Hearing +8
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Oakfield High School and College
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oakfield High School and College from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oakfield High School and College is in Wigan; for families living there:
Apply to Wigan for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 2 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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 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
153%
Over capacity
413 pupils
270 places
143 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Wigan
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wigan
Across Wigan council
Places available
4,061
Applications
3,718
Got 1st preference
91.1%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across Wigan council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
413
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Oakfield High School and College provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
413
Total Pupils
305
Boys
108
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
47
Teachers
8.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,453
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.4%
Overall absence
30.0%
Persistent absence
307
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
Oakfield High School and College
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Oakfield High School and College
What are GCSE results like at Oakfield High School and College?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Oakfield High School and College achieved an Attainment 8 score of 3. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Oakfield High School and College's Ofsted rating?
Oakfield High School and College's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Oakfield High School and College?
No fixed boundary. When Oakfield High School and College is oversubscribed, Wigan allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Oakfield High School and College?
Oakfield High School and College has around 413 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Oakfield High School and College have specialist SEN provision?
Oakfield High School and College provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Oakfield High School and College?
11.4% of sessions were missed at Oakfield High School and College in 2024/25. 30% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Oakfield High School and College?
Apply through Wigan's coordinated admissions process, naming Oakfield High School and College 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 Oakfield High School and College?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 2 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 Wigan is 10 (the median across 146 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Oakfield High School and College?
Oakfield High School and College is at Long Lane, Hindley Green, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN2 4XA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)