The Shires at Oakham, Should be blank
The Shires at Oakham is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 19 in Should be blank.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Shires at Oakham in detail
What parents say
10 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Shires at Oakham (as of September 2025): 80% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that they would recommend the school (80%).
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at The Shires at Oakham has an education, health and care plan (36 of 36 in 2026).
The Shires at Oakham is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Oakham Rail Station, about 800 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Council Offices (opposite), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 59 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Rutland (8), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Shires creates a warm, inclusive environment where pupils feel genuinely listened to and valued. Staff have high expectations for both academic and personal achievement, delivering individualised lessons that help pupils make real progress. The school excels at preparing young people for their future through strong careers guidance, work experience, and teaching practical life skills.
Key Strengths
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils, with a culture where pupil views are actively listened to and used to improve support
- Excellent focus on reading with a well-designed phonics programme and new library that pupils engage with enthusiastically
- Comprehensive careers guidance and work experience that prepares pupils well for life after school
- Individualised curriculum carefully matched to each pupil's needs, leading to good progress toward long-term goals
- Effective personal development through PSHE and independent living skills teaching tailored to each pupil
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum in some subjects lacks clear detail about precise knowledge pupils should learn and remember
- A small number of subjects have incomplete curriculum planning and sequencing
- School doesn't fully use assessment data to identify strengths and weaknesses in some subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with safety and well-being central to leaders' decision-making and risk assessments accurately reflecting school policy.
Extracurricular Activities
trips to local bakery, work experience, college visits, school council
The Shires at Oakham is a school where pupils with special educational needs and disabilities typically thrive, with high expectations for personal and academic achievement. The school has been rated as Good overall, maintaining this rating from its previous inspection.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Approved
Section 41
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
10 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Latest from The Shires at Oakham
Local Colleges’ Open Days/Evenings
18 Sep 2026
Youth Space
18 Sep 2026
SWAY Summer Term 2 Newsletter Part 1
22 Aug 2026
SWAY Summer Term 2 Newsletter Part 2
22 Aug 2026
Summer Term 1 Newsletter
22 May 2026
School Newsletter Friday 1st May 2026
1 May 2026
From The Shires at Oakham's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with The Shires at Oakham
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 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 Rutland is 1 (the median across 27 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
90%
Near capacity
36 pupils
40 places
4 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Should be blank
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Should be blank
Across Rutland council
Places available
600
Applications
331
Got 1st preference
93.1%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All secondary applications across Rutland council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
36
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Shires at Oakham is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
36
Total Pupils
29
Boys
7
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about The Shires at Oakham
How many pupils go to The Shires at Oakham?
The Shires at Oakham has around 36 pupils on roll.
Does The Shires at Oakham have specialist SEN provision?
The Shires at Oakham is approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014, so parents can ask for it to be named in their child's education, health and care (EHC) plan.
How do I apply to The Shires at Oakham?
The Shires at Oakham 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 The Shires at Oakham?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 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 Rutland is 1 (the median across 27 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Shires at Oakham?
The Shires at Oakham is at 3 Uppingham Road, Oakham, Should be blank, LE15 6JB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)