Oak Lodge School

Overview

Oak Lodge School continues to be a good school, where pupils are described as "safe and happy" and enjoy attending. Leaders have designed a "well-structured curriculum" that prioritises reading and prepares pupils effectively for adult life, supported by "very caring and supportive" staff.

Strengths

• Staff are "very caring and supportive," helping pupils manage their emotions and become more independent.
• Reading is a high priority, with daily whole-school reading sessions resulting in pupils who are "confident to tackle increasingly challenging books".
• The personal development programme is "comprehensive," offering enrichment opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and community projects.
• Leaders provide effective careers education, ensuring all pupils move on to "positive destinations" when they leave.
• Staff value the support from leaders, who help with workload and ensure clear communication.

Areas to improve

• In some subjects, such as science and art, knowledge is not always broken down into logical steps, limiting pupils’ understanding of important concepts.
• Leaders should ensure they identify precisely what pupils need to learn in all subjects to improve achievement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders having developed a "strong safeguarding culture" and staff being "particularly alert to the additional risks their pupils might face".