Oakwood School, Shrewsbury
Oakwood School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Shrewsbury. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Oakwood School in detail
Oakwood School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, cricket, cooking, gardening, Duke of Edinburgh, forest school and cheerleading.
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Oakwood School are The Keystone Academy (1.5 miles); Bettws Lifehouse (2.5 miles, Good); The Fitzroy Academy (2.9 miles, Good, selective); and Condover College Limited (2.9 miles, Outstanding).
The Keystone AcademyBettws LifehouseThe Fitzroy AcademyCondover College Limited
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Oakwood School has an education, health and care plan (8 of 8 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Shrewsbury Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Four Crosses Inn (opposite), 250 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 34 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Shropshire (10), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 6 months agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
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 Insights
From Ofsted's April 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school recognises the need for improved curriculum planning and has developed new approaches. Staff have received training on behaviour management and the school is working to identify trends in pupil behaviour. The school is beginning to put systems in place to track and improve pupils' wellbeing.
Key Strengths
- School has an up-to-date safeguarding policy in place and available to parents
- New behaviour policy has been developed that takes into account pupils' needs
- Staff have received training on behaviour management and are beginning to track incidents
Areas for Improvement
- Serious fire safety risks including key-operated alarms and doors that require keys to exit
- Unsafe premises with unsecured bookshelves, sharp objects, exposed hot pipes and rusty bolts posing crush and injury risks
- Behaviour policy not being implemented consistently by staff, leaving pupils distressed
- Curriculum teaching and assessment are weak with limited challenge and low-quality pupil work
- Leadership and management lack the skills needed to consistently meet standards
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is not effective - the school has an up-to-date policy but has not addressed risks within the school.
Oakwood School is an independent special school for pupils with trauma and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The school does not meet all independent school standards, with significant concerns about leadership, safety, and the quality of education provided.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Oakwood School
Getting There
Bus Stops
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 Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 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
27%
Available places
8 pupils
30 places
22 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Shrewsbury
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Shrewsbury
Across Shropshire council
Places available
3,213
Applications
2,845
Got 1st preference
91.0%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All secondary applications across Shropshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Oakwood 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
8
Total Pupils
3
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Oakwood School
What is Oakwood School's Ofsted rating?
Oakwood School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Oakwood School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in November 2023, Oakwood School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Oakwood School?
Oakwood School has around 8 pupils on roll.
Does Oakwood School have specialist SEN provision?
Oakwood School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Oakwood School?
Oakwood 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 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 Shropshire is 1 (the median across 187 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Oakwood School?
Oakwood School is at Unit 2, The Oaks Business Park, Shrewsbury, SY3 8BT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)