Oakwood School

Special academy · All-through, ages 3 to 15 · Mixed · Nursery class

Part of THE MERCIAN TRUST

Druids Walk, Walsall Wood, Walsall, WS9 9JS

01543 452040 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedOutstandingInspected 18 March 2014, before conversion; confirmed with concerns 2024
Pupils272Room for 150 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 85 in 2019, 102 in 2021, 132 in 2022, 150 in 2023, 208 in 2024, 245 in 2025, 272 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals54%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at the inspection that started on 18 March 2014. This inspection was of the school before it changed to its current form (for example, before becoming an academy).

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 educationOutstanding
Outcomes for pupilsOutstanding
Leadership and managementOutstanding

Since then, a shorter ungraded inspection on 5 June 2024: Ofsted found the school was still Outstanding but had some concerns, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 2 April 2024 and 7 April 2025.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 100% 89%
My child feels safe at this school 87% 90%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 80% 84%
I would recommend this school to another parent 87%said yes 84%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families. Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. This survey used Ofsted's previous Parent View questions, which changed in November 2025. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

26 pupils in this year group.

These results were published under the school's previous registration (URN 104275), before it changed to its current form.

0% — 59 points below the Walsall average, and 62 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolWalsallEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 59% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 6% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 0% 74% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 0% 69% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 0% 73% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 105 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 104 105

"Not published": No figure published.

Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 62% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. 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 Walsall. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Walsall

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: Autism; Multi-sensory impairment; Severe learning difficulties; Profound and multiple learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolWalsallEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 51.4% 61.4%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 100.0%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.0%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 27.3% 18.0%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 10.0% 10.4%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 32.4% 32.8%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 4.5 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 2.7% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.00% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 7.2 6.9 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 1.8 2.5 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 22.6% 18.3%* 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 Oakwood School's Ofsted rating?

Oakwood School was rated Outstanding by Ofsted at its inspection in 18 March 2014. At a shorter ungraded inspection in 5 June 2024, Ofsted found the school was still Outstanding but had some concerns, so its next inspection will be a full graded one.

Would parents recommend Oakwood School?

87% of the 15 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 2 April 2024 and 7 April 2025 said they would recommend Oakwood School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

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

Page updated 26 September 2026.