Oakwood School, Horley

Secondary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 1116

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Adrian Cook
Pupils:1,610 / 1,600 capacity
LA:Surrey
Phone:01293785363
Address:Balcombe Road, Horley, RH6 9AE
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 7 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Inspected 24 February 2026View full report
URN:125273
UKPRN:10016805
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Dorking and Horley
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Oakwood School excels at supporting pupils with additional needs, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND who feel well-supported and achieve well from their individual starting points. The school has successfully improved overall attendance through close monitoring and partnership working with external agencies. Most pupils are happy in school and benefit from a broad, ambitious curriculum with good access to sporting clubs, performing arts opportunities, and careers guidance.

Key Strengths

  • Strong support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, with gaps in knowledge closing more quickly at key stage 3
  • Effective actions taken to improve overall attendance and reduce persistent absence
  • Well-planned, broad curriculum with teachers having secure subject knowledge and good small-group teaching for pupils needing extra support

Areas for Improvement

  • Teaching quality is inconsistent across subjects, leading to variable pupil achievement and uncorrected errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar
  • Behaviour expectations not consistently applied by staff, with older pupils showing less respect for the school environment
  • Leadership evaluation of school strengths is too positive, resulting in expectations of pupil behaviour and achievement that are not high enough

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Sporting clubs, performing arts showcases, Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, KitKat room activities

Oakwood School is a secondary school in Horley, Surrey that has made effective progress on inclusion and attendance. However, inconsistent teaching quality and variable pupil achievement remain areas requiring improvement.

At a Glance

17.1%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

SLCN - Speech, language and Communication

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

25.1

Avg class size

63

Total classes

11 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Horley Rail Station
628m · 10 min walk

Bus Stops

Oakwood School (o/s)
156m · 3 min walk
The Kings Head (nr)
201m · 3 min walk
The Meadway (adj)
218m · 4 min walk
Wheatfield Way South (S-bound)
319m · 5 min walk
Avenue Gardens (opp)
437m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

101%

Over capacity

1,610 pupils

1,600 capacity

10 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Horley

High pressure
New homes approved:507
Projected new pupils:91

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Horley

Admissions Demand - Surrey

Low demand0.98x oversubscription

Places available

12,562

Applications

12,278

Got 1st preference

80.6%

Got preferred school

95.3%

Secondary admissions across Surrey (2025/26)

Inspection History(13)

24 February 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
1 November 2023
16 May 2018

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

9.23308%

Overall absence

27.61148%

Persistent absence

1,637

Enrolments

Authorised6.32921%
Unauthorised2.90387%
Persistent (10%+)27.61148%
Severe (50%+)3.97068%

Absence trend

5.39073%
18/19
5.41171%
20/21
11.02645%
21/22
11.20069%
22/23
9.02848%
23/24
9.23308%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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