Oak Lodge School

Overview

Oak Lodge School has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” Pupils describe the school as a “welcoming and inclusive” environment where they are “happy, safe and very well cared for.” The report highlights a “friendly atmosphere” supported by positive relationships and high expectations for pupil development.

Strengths

• Staff “get to know each pupil really well” and work together to meet individual needs, ensuring pupils are “valued as individuals.”
• Pupils achieve well in “communication and language development and mathematics,” benefiting from “well-trained teachers, support staff and therapists.”
• The curriculum effectively prepares pupils for future life, including “well-considered opportunities to experience the world of work” and visits from services like the police.
• Reading is well-supported, with staff helping pupils understand complex language concepts and make connections between English and British Sign Language.
• Leadership and teamwork skills are developed through activities such as the school fair and a sixth-form business selling sign language resources.

Areas to improve

• In a few subjects, the order of content in revised learning pathways is “not clearly defined,” making it difficult for staff to know when specific knowledge should be taught. The school should ensure staff have clarity on “key knowledge that needs to be taught and when.”

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”