Oakwood High School, Rotherham

Ofsted's report card from its 27 January 2026 inspection grades Oakwood High School on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Generally, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils feel that they belong here and enjoy coming to school."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching across the school."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that pupils belong and can thrive here."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders believe that when pupils belong and thrive that they will achieve well."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's personal development programme makes a positive contribution to pupils' development."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should embed improvements to the curriculum and teaching so pupils deepen their knowledge and build on their achievement"; "Leaders should support staff to improve some pupils' engagement and commitment to learning".

In 2026, pupils at Oakwood High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.9 in Rotherham and 47 across England.

41% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Rotherham and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 47.5.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.12: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 37.4, against 52.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 216 families put Oakwood High School as their first choice and 432 named it as one of their preferences, for 205 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 28 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Oakwood High School are St Bernard's Catholic High School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.3); Clifton Community School (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 37); Brinsworth Academy (1.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46); and Winterhill School (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.8).

Oakwood High School's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Oakwood High School is one of 4 schools run by Inspire Learning Trust, an academy trust.

62 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Oakwood High School (as of April 2026): 81% would recommend the school, 76% say their child is happy there and 69% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (81%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (68%).

Of the 216 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 37% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

27.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (40%) and Asian (35%).

In 2026, 192 pupils (18%) received SEN support and 29 (2.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Rotherham Station To Sheffield, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Moorgate Road/Brunswick Road (adjacent), 200 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Oakwood High School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 286 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Rotherham (146), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Oakwood High School issued 189 suspensions, 17.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 8 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Oakwood High School are Broom Valley Community School (0.4 miles), Canklow Woods Primary School (0.6 miles), Sitwell Junior School (0.8 miles) and Sitwell Nursery & Infant School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.