Oakfield Park School is a council-run special school in Pontefract, Wakefield, for children and young people aged 11 to 19. It supports autism, severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 11–19
- 176 pupils
- Ofsted: Outstanding
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 11 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 176 (places for 162)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Nicola Cryer (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 September 2002
- Free school meals
- 62.9% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Wakefield
- School reference (URN)
- 133719
Needs it supports
3 needs: autism, severe learning and 1 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Wakefield (4)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Wakefield (1)
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 Wakefield 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, October 2019; standards maintained (March 2025)
Rated Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in October 2019.
- Quality of educationOutstanding
- Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
- Personal developmentOutstanding
- Leadership and managementOutstanding
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: Standards maintained (ungraded inspection, March 2025).
Contact and getting there
Barnsley Road, Ackworth, Pontefract, WF7 7DT
Loading the map…
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
- Wragby School Independent · Ages 8–16 2.3 miles
- The Featherstone Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 2.7 miles
- Ark Northfield Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 3.0 miles
By need in Wakefield: Speech and language (13) · Autism (11) · Severe learning (5) · SEMH (3) · Moderate learning (3) · PMLD (2) · Hearing (2)
Questions about Oakfield Park School
How do I get a place at Oakfield Park 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 Oakfield Park School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Oakfield Park School support?
Autism, 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 Oakfield Park School take?
Aged 11 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Oakfield Park School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March 2025 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 Oakfield Park School?
Barnsley Road, Ackworth, Pontefract, WF7 7DT, in Wakefield.
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.