Oakdale School is a special academy in Dukinfield, Tameside, for children and young people aged 2 to 11. It supports autism, severe learning and PMLD.
- Ages 2–11
- 167 pupils
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 167 (places for 166)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Anne Redmond (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Kingfisher Learning Trust
- Opened
- 1 June 2025
- Free school meals
- 64.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Tameside
- School reference (URN)
- 151321
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 Tameside (2)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Tameside (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 Tameside 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
Graded by area, April 2025; school remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (September 2023)
Inspected in April 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- Early yearsRequires improvement
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, September 2023).
Contact and getting there
Cheetham Hill Road, Dukinfield, SK16 5LD
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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
- Cromwell High School Special school · Ages 11–19 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.2 miles
- Oakfield Primary and Moderate Learning Difficulties Resource Provision Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 0.4 miles
- Thomas Ashton School Special school · Ages 5–14 · Ofsted: Inadequate 0.5 miles
By need in Tameside: Speech and language (12) · Autism (11) · Moderate learning (7) · Severe learning (3) · SEMH (2) · PMLD (2)
Questions about Oakdale School
How do I get a place at Oakdale 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 Oakdale School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Oakdale 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 Oakdale School take?
Aged 2 to 11, boys and girls.
What is Oakdale School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in April 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 Oakdale School?
Cheetham Hill Road, Dukinfield, SK16 5LD, in Tameside.
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.