Oak Lodge School

Special school · Secondary, ages 10 to 19 · Mixed · Sixth form · Boarding

101 Nightingale Lane, Balham, London, SW12 8NA

020 8673 3453 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedGoodInspected 4 May 2016; confirmed 2025
Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%England 45% · 2024/25
Pupils96Room for 100 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 81 in 2019, 76 in 2021, 87 in 2022, 90 in 2023, 102 in 2024, 91 in 2025, 96 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals69%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 4 May 2016.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationGood
Outcomes for pupilsGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Leadership and managementGood
Sixth formGood
SafeguardingEffective

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 24 April 2025: Ofsted found the school had maintained its standards.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

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Results

GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25

12 pupils in this year group.

0% — 57 points below the Wandsworth average, and 45 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolWandsworthEngland
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 0% 57% 45%
Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. 0.7 51.8 46.1
EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. 0 4.9 4.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% England 2022/23: 45%England 2023/24: 46%England 2024/25: 45% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 45% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.

Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

11 pupils in this year group.

100% — 7 points above the Wandsworth average, and 8 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolWandsworthEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 100% 93% 92%
School sixth form 0% 66% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 4% 13%
Further education college 18% 16% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 1% 3%
Work 0% 1% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
100%100%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Wandsworth. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Wandsworth

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Hearing impairment; Speech, language and communication needs.

PupilsThis schoolWandsworthEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 73.1% 62.0%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 99.7%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.3%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 58.2% 31.0%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 9.5% 14.5%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 42.5% 45.2%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 12.1 5.3 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 8.8% 3.4% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.00% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 4.0 5.3 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 1.6 2.1 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 10.5% 16.9%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Oak Lodge School's Ofsted rating?

Oak Lodge School was rated Good by Ofsted at its inspection in 4 May 2016. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 24 April 2025, Ofsted found the school had maintained its standards.

How did Oak Lodge School do in its GCSEs?

In 2024/25, 0% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 45 points below the England average of 45%.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.