Oakwood Community School, Leicestershire
Oakwood Community School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 18 in Leicestershire. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, ended in a report card: 7 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in February 2023.
- Ofsted report card
- 0 of 7 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oakwood Community School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 27 January 2026 inspection grades Oakwood Community School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Expected standard. "The school keeps a close eye on how well all pupils achieve, including those who are disadvantaged and those known to social care, at each stage of their education."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils attend well from their starting points."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Overall, the school's curriculum is well planned and sequenced so that learning builds cumulatively over time."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious for every pupil."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders' mantra of ‘head, heart and hands' drives the school."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school prioritises pupils' personal development and wellbeing."
Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "The Post‑16 provision is fully integrated into the life of the school."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to ensure checks of their work provide full insight into its impact on different pupil groups"; "Leaders should complete work to the curriculum so that it is fully planned and sequenced across all subjects"; "Leaders should continue their work on writing so that pupils consistently form letters accurately and go on to develop a fluent handwriting style".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Oakwood Community School in its own words
In its own words: "Oakwood School strives to offer the best possible care and education for its pupils. We pride ourselves on being creative and innovative and never settling for anything less than excellence."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include tennis and gardening.
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Oakwood Community School are Clovelly House School (1.7 miles, Good, selective); Hinckley House (3.1 miles, Good); and Meadow View Farm School (4.6 miles, Outstanding).
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Oakwood Community School (as of April 2026): 92% would recommend the school, 92% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Oakwood Community School has an education, health and care plan (84 of 84 in 2026).
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 15 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Leicestershire (58).
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 9 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since January 2026 for independent schools)
Safeguarding standards met
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Post 16 provisionExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at Oakwood Community School
Oakwood Community School is driven by its ‘head, heart and hands' philosophy. This is made up of academic learning, therapeutic care and vocational development. This enables pupils to make effective progress from their individual starting points. Pupils enjoy learning, make significant strides in their personal development and are well prepared for life beyond the school. The school knows each pupil well. It understands the barriers that pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) present. Staff identify needs precisely and put in place tailored support to ensure that each pupil's ‘heads, hearts and hands' get the help that they need. Leaders regularly review provision and make skilful adaptations where needed. As a result, all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those who are known to social care, achieve well. They feel a strong sense of belonging and are well prepared for their next stages. Relationships across the school are consistently positive. Staff listen to pupils. Pupils respond by working hard and behaving well. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils support one another. Many show a high degree of courtesy, including greeting visitors politely and holding doors open for adults. Bullying is rare. When disagreements do occur, staff address them promptly and help pupils learn from the experience. Pupils feel safe and trust staff to help. Attendance is monitored closely. Leaders work with families to ensure that pupils attend regularly. Pupils are keen to be in school because they enjoy what it offers. Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences beyond the classroom. The multi‑acre forest, sensory spaces, atrium, outdoor equipment and the ‘Womble Pod' underground classroom provide rich opportunities to explore, socialise and learn. Pupils help to keep the school tidy and organised. They also take responsibility for caring for the school's chickens and take pride in the newly refurbished nurture unit.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should continue to ensure checks of their work provide full insight into its impact on different pupil groups.
- Leaders should complete work to the curriculum so that it is fully planned and sequenced across all subjects.
- Leaders should continue their work on writing so that pupils consistently form letters accurately and go on to develop a fluent handwriting style.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 27 January 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Oakwood creates a calm, welcoming environment where every pupil is known well and understood. The school combines strong academic teaching with therapeutic care and real-world vocational skills, supported by an impressive range of enrichment activities that ensure no pupil misses out. Pupils develop positive attitudes to learning, behave well, and leave well-prepared for their next stage.
Key Strengths
- Calm, nurturing ethos with consistently positive relationships between staff and pupils
- Highly personalised approach to behaviour with clear support plans tailored to individual needs
- Well-planned curriculum that builds learning cumulatively, with strong phonics teaching
- Ambitious inclusion practices ensuring disadvantaged pupils and those known to social care receive tailored support
- Broad enrichment activities including pumpkin picking, horse riding, golf lessons and sporting, art and musical activities
Areas for Improvement
- Writing development needs improvement - some pupils do not develop fluent handwriting or form letters accurately, affecting pace of work
- Some subject curriculums still in early stages of development and not fully aligned with recently introduced examination courses
- Leaders do not evaluate thoroughly enough how well different pupil groups, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed, making pupils safer and helping them feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
pumpkin picking, tobogganing, horse riding, country walks, golf lessons, sporting activities, art activities, musical activities, school council, ground maintenance, looking after chickens
Oakwood Community School is driven by its 'head, heart and hands' philosophy combining academic learning, therapeutic care and vocational development. Pupils make effective progress from their starting points and feel a strong sense of belonging.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Oakwood Community School
A special visitor during our outdoor lesson…
2 Oct 2026
Gardening Club has been a growing success!
25 Sep 2026
Bikeability: Weeks 1 and 2 Complete!
24 Sep 2026
A brilliant tennis session…
23 Sep 2026
Growing Something Special at Oakwood!
22 Sep 2026
Huge congratulations to Minisha!
20 Sep 2026
From Oakwood Community School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Oakwood Community School
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 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
70%
Available places
84 pupils
120 places
36 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Leicestershire
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leicestershire
Across Leicestershire council
Places available
8,516
Applications
7,490
Got 1st preference
90.2%
Got preferred school
98.1%
All secondary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(13)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
84
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Oakwood Community School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
84
Total Pupils
54
Boys
30
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Oakwood Community School
What are GCSE results like at Oakwood Community School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Oakwood Community School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Oakwood Community School's Ofsted rating?
Oakwood Community School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Oakwood Community School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in January 2026, Oakwood Community School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Oakwood Community School?
Oakwood Community School has around 84 pupils on roll.
Does Oakwood Community School have specialist SEN provision?
Oakwood Community School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Oakwood Community School?
Oakwood Community School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Oakwood Community School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 0 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 Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Oakwood Community School?
Oakwood Community School is at Heath Road, Barlestone, Leicestershire, Leicestershire, CV13 0JD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)