Oakfield Park School, Pontefract
Oakfield Park School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Pontefract. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2019)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oakfield Park School in detail
Oakfield Park School in its own words
In its own words: "At Oakfield Park we aim for all our students to develop a "voice", to be as independent, social and healthy as possible, enabling them to become citizens who engage positively with society whilst leading happy and fulfilled lives. We have 3 school rules which are displayed in school for the students:"
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Oakfield Park School are Compass Community School Hemsworth (2.1 miles); Wragby School (2.3 miles); High Well School (3.9 miles, Good); and Hammer Lane Academy (3.9 miles).
Compass Community School HemsworthWragby SchoolHigh Well SchoolHammer Lane Academy
What parents say
28 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Oakfield Park School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (93%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 26 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
60.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 9.7% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Oakfield Park School has an education, health and care plan (176 of 176 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Oakfield Park School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Fitzwilliam Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Camargue Orcheta, 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 35 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, other theft and vehicle crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Wakefield (130).
Suspensions and exclusions
Oakfield Park School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 October 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Oakfield Park excels at helping every child find their voice through excellent communication support and warm relationships with staff. The school has genuinely high expectations for all pupils, with a broad curriculum that builds real skills for independence and work. Parents are extremely positive about the education and care their child receives.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on communication strategies that help all pupils express themselves and have their voices heard
- High-quality phonics teaching with effective systems to check pupil progress and provide extra support
- Excellent behaviour management with consistent strategies creating a calm, warm learning environment
- Broad curriculum that prepares pupils for independence and future employment, with all pupils participating in careers programmes from key stage 3 onwards
- Strong pastoral care with physical needs well met through outdoor activities and physiotherapy sessions
Areas for Improvement
- Mathematics and science curriculum not yet broken down into small enough steps of knowledge, meaning pupils do not develop understanding as well as they could
- Need to continue raising expectations of what pupils can achieve and implement plans to structure learning more precisely in key stages 3 and 4
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils knowing how to ask for help if someone in school or online is unkind to them.
Extracurricular Activities
Student council, coffee shop, tuck shop delivery service, outdoor activity areas, physiotherapy sessions, careers programme
Oakfield Park School is a special school for pupils aged 11-19 with severe, complex or profound learning difficulties that has maintained outstanding standards. The school prioritises communication and has high aspirations for pupils' success in school and beyond.
About
Oakfield Park School is a coeducational special school in Ackworth, West Yorkshire, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
60.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Autism, SLD, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
28 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Oakfield Park School
October half term activities
30 Sep 2026
Christmas Wreath Making Workshop 2.12.2026
16 Sep 2026
For the Attention of Post 16 or year 11 parents/carers
15 Sep 2026
Food Contributions September 2026
14 Sep 2026
Jeans for genes Friday 18th September
14 Sep 2026
Summer 2026 Questionnaire for parents / carers
9 Sep 2026
From Oakfield Park School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Oakfield Park School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oakfield Park School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oakfield Park School is in Wakefield; for families living there:
- Wakefield's school travel policy: Home To School Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 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
109%
Over capacity
176 pupils
162 places
14 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Pontefract
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Pontefract
Across Wakefield council
Places available
4,300
Applications
3,912
Got 1st preference
90.7%
Got preferred school
97.3%
All secondary applications across Wakefield council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
176
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Oakfield Park School provides for pupils with autism, 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
176
Total Pupils
113
Boys
63
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
6.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,694
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.4%
Overall absence
38.4%
Persistent absence
112
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 Oakfield Park School
What is Oakfield Park School's Ofsted rating?
Oakfield Park School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2019, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Oakfield Park School?
No fixed boundary. When Oakfield Park School is oversubscribed, Wakefield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Oakfield Park School?
Oakfield Park School has around 176 pupils on roll. 60% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Oakfield Park School have specialist SEN provision?
Oakfield Park School provides for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Oakfield Park School?
11.4% of sessions were missed at Oakfield Park School in 2024/25. 38.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Oakfield Park School?
Apply through Wakefield's coordinated admissions process, naming Oakfield Park 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 Oakfield Park School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 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 Wakefield is 13 (the median across 157 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Oakfield Park School?
Oakfield Park School is at Barnsley Road, Ackworth, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF7 7DT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)