The Open University, Milton Keynes
The Open University is a school for pupils in Milton Keynes.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Open University in detail
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bow Brickhill Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Open University (outside), 100 metres away.
Source: NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Open University successfully trains apprentices in critical shortage areas like nursing and digital technology, giving them practical skills they immediately use at work. Teaching staff bring real workplace experience into their lessons, and the flexible distance learning model allows students across England to study while working. The university provides excellent support for apprentices' career progression, with many securing promotions before even finishing their studies.
Key Strengths
- Apprentices are highly motivated and develop substantial new knowledge they confidently apply in the workplace - for example, nurses recognizing Parkinson's symptoms in patients and digital professionals implementing new cybersecurity protocols
- Teaching staff are well qualified with strong vocational expertise, using high-quality online resources, group tutorials, and effective feedback to support learning
- Leaders have designed apprenticeships that meet national skills gaps in vital shortage areas and align with the social mobility agenda, while using distance learning to reach students who otherwise couldn't access higher education
Areas for Improvement
- Too many chartered manager and digital technology solutions professional apprentices leave before completing their final assessment
- The first year of the registered nurse apprenticeship is too generic and needs stronger content around specialist pathways, especially for those in mental health settings
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with apprentices feeling safe in the workplace and knowing how to raise concerns through the university.
Extracurricular Activities
Guest speakers on career pathways, mentoring of new apprentices, volunteer placements, course representative roles
The Open University is a higher education institution offering distance learning apprenticeships across health, digital, and public services sectors to nearly 200,000 students. The inspection found the provider to be good across all areas including quality of education, behaviour, personal development, and leadership.
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 The Open University
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 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 Milton Keynes is 8 (the median across 125 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
Across Milton Keynes council
Places available
3,905
Applications
3,768
Got 1st preference
82.2%
Got preferred school
96.9%
All secondary applications across Milton Keynes council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
Questions parents ask about The Open University
What is the catchment area for The Open University?
No fixed boundary. When The Open University is oversubscribed, Milton Keynes allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to The Open University?
Apply through Milton Keynes's coordinated admissions process, naming The Open University on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near The Open University?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 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 Milton Keynes is 8 (the median across 125 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Open University?
The Open University is at Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK7 6AA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)