Oakley School is a council-run special school in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, for children and young people aged 4 to 19. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 6 other needs.
- Ages 4–19
- 224 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 4 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 224
- Headteacher
- Mrs Samantha Perryman (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 September 2000
- Free school meals
- 46.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Kent
- School reference (URN)
- 132148
Needs it supports
9 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 7 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in Kent (62)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in Kent (31)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia) Other schools for this in Kent (3)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Kent (9)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Kent (10)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Kent (10)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in Kent (9)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Kent (7)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in Kent (2)
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 Kent 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 Good, March 2015; improved significantly (October 2024)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in March 2015. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- Sixth formGood
Since then: Improved significantly (ungraded inspection, October 2024).
Contact and getting there
Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 4NE
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- The Skinners' School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted report card (2026) 2.0 miles
- OA Tunbridge Wells Alternative provision · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Inadequate 2.2 miles
- St Gregory's Catholic School Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 2.4 miles
By need in Kent: Autism (63) · Speech and language (32) · Physical (14) · SEMH (11) · Severe learning (11) · PMLD (11) · Moderate learning (10) · Hearing (10) · Vision (8) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Multi-sensory (3)
Questions about Oakley School
How do I get a place at Oakley 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 Oakley School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Oakley School support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, multi-sensory impairment, 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 Oakley School take?
Aged 4 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Oakley School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in October 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 Oakley School?
Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 4NE, in Kent.
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.