Oakley School, Tunbridge Wells
Oakley School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Tunbridge Wells. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Oakley School in detail
Oakley School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our children and young people are at the heart of everything we do. A very warm welcome to Oakley School. We are the district Special School for children and young people from 3 to 19 years with a wide range of special educational needs located in our Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge (post-16) sites"
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Oakley School are Meadows School (2.7 miles, Requires improvement); Broomhill Bank School (2.9 miles, Good); Nexus Foundation Special School (3.8 miles, Good); and The Mount Camphill Community Ltd (4.7 miles, Good).
Meadows SchoolBroomhill Bank SchoolNexus Foundation Special SchoolThe Mount Camphill Community Ltd
Where pupils go next
Of the 14 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 93% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 7% to a further education college.
Who goes there
43.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 13.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Oakley School has an education, health and care plan (224 of 224 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Oakley School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is High Brooms Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Oakley School (adjacent), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 55 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kent (101).
Suspensions and exclusions
Oakley School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 March 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school's motto, 'Work hard, be kind, have fun and stay safe', is embodied in pupils' experiences. The school has a profoundly happy and respectful atmosphere. Pupils and adults treat one another with dignity and kindness. Pupils appreciate and trust their teachers and adults who support them. This is demonstrated through frequent informal conversations and interactions, pupils' strong attendance, and their high engagement in learning.
This is a 'total communication' school. Pupils are helped to convey their thoughts, supported by a range of resources. These include communication boards and aids, signing and the spoken word. Pupils develop an understanding of themselves, identifying their emotions and their likes and dislikes. Knowing what motivates and supports each pupil to learn successfully is fundamental to the school's work. Learning activities are adapted for every pupil in light of this information. Consequently, pupils rise to the school's high expectations for their learning.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is ambitious and exciting. The curriculum operates on a four-year cycle and is meticulously tailored to Oakley School's age-related phases. Three pathways, known as: 'Engage', 'Explore' and 'Discover' ensure that, within their phases, pupils are further grouped according to their learning needs. Key areas of learning have been forensically considered. This has resulted in the 'Oakley Learning Journey Document'. For each curriculum area, the document identifies sequences of learning. This supports teachers to plan learning that is adapted precisely to meet pupils' needs from the early years to the sixth form.
Many approaches and strategies to facilitate learning are deeply embedded, including those to support regulation and communication. The integrated use of therapies and expertise from the therapies team supports pupils to learn well.
From Ofsted's October 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 Good at its March 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
43.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Hearing +6
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Oakley School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Oakley School, with their latest published grades:
- Harlequin Forest Pre-School (TW) - Pre-school, 0.4 milesOfsted, 15 June 2023: Outstanding overall; safeguarding is effective
- Rainbow Nursery @ Little Forest Children's Centre - Day nursery, 0.8 milesOfsted, 24 July 2025: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Sarahs Little Stars - Day nursery, 0.8 milesOfsted, 30 August 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Nuffy Bear Day Nursery - Tunbridge Wells - Day nursery, 0.9 milesOfsted, 17 February 2023: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- Stepping Stones Nursery Pembury Ltd - Day nursery, 1.0 milesOfsted report card, 10 July 2026: Expected standard in 6 areas; safeguarding standards met
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Oakley School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Oakley School is in Kent; for families living there:
Apply to Kent for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
4 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
Across Kent council
Places available
19,539
Applications
18,644
Got 1st preference
78.9%
Got preferred school
96.2%
All secondary applications across Kent council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
224
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Oakley School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, 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
224
Total Pupils
154
Boys
70
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
5.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,076
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.7%
Overall absence
29.4%
Persistent absence
170
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
Oakley School
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Oakley School
What are SATs results like at Oakley School?
Of the pupils at Oakley School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Oakley School's Ofsted rating?
Oakley School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded. At its last graded inspection, in March 2015, it was rated Good.
How many pupils go to Oakley School?
Oakley School has around 224 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Oakley School have specialist SEN provision?
Oakley School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Oakley School?
8.7% of sessions were missed at Oakley School in 2024/25. 29.4% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Oakley School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 4 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 Kent is 11 (the median across 711 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Oakley School?
Oakley School is at Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4NE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)