Frank Wise School is a council-run special school in Banbury, Oxfordshire, for children and young people aged 2 to 19. It supports moderate learning, severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 2–19
- 119 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 2 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 119 (places for 117)
- Headteacher
- Ms Heidi Dennison (Headteacher)
- Free school meals
- 38.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Oxfordshire
- School reference (URN)
- 123332
Needs it supports
3 needs: moderate learning, severe learning and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (8)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (9)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Oxfordshire (9)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Oxfordshire council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Outstanding, March 2015; standards maintained (November 2024)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in March 2015. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Early yearsOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, November 2024).
Contact and getting there
Hornbeam Close, Banbury, OX16 9RL
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- St Leonard's Church of England Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.4 miles
- Cherry Fields Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 2.0 miles
- Bloxham Grove Academy Special school · Ages 7–18 2.2 miles
All SEND schools in Oxfordshire
By need in Oxfordshire: Autism (20) · Speech and language (14) · SEMH (10) · Severe learning (10) · PMLD (10) · Moderate learning (9) · Hearing (7) · Physical (7) · Dyslexia and SpLD (6) · Vision (5) · Multi-sensory (4)
Questions about Frank Wise School
How do I get a place at Frank Wise School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Frank Wise School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Frank Wise School support?
Moderate learning difficulty, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Frank Wise School take?
Aged 2 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Frank Wise School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in November 2024 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Frank Wise School?
Hornbeam Close, Banbury, OX16 9RL, in Oxfordshire.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.