Oak Lodge School, Southampton

Oak Lodge School provides a safe, enjoyable and caring learning environment for students to learn skills for life and prepare them well for adulthood.

Staff are dedicated, caring and experienced in supporting students aged 11-16, catering for a wide range of complex special educational needs. This expertise, coupled with a broad, rich curriculum, as well as a highly engaging specialist arts programme supports students well to embed the key skills of communication, reading, writing, maths and independence. All students have access to the National Curriculum and are divided into year groups and sub-divided into smaller tutor groups. Students enjoy a variety of performance opportunities and benefit from excellent links with the diverse community beyond the school setting.

Oak Lodge School currently makes provision for moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication needs, autism and specific learning difficulties. Oak Lodge has also adapted the provision and curriculum offered to accommodate a number of pupils with more complex learning needs including severe learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities.

Within Oak Lodge School, there is provision for ASD pupils called the Oakmore Centre, for pupils across Years 7-11. The Oakmore Centre works in partnership with Applemore College, a mainstream secondary school. Pupils placed in Oakmore have individualised timetables, however all are expected to be able to access specialist teaching in their appropriate year group for core subjects either in Applemore College in discreet groups taught by Applemore staff, in Oak Lodge or a combination of these.

Pupils are of average or above average cognitive ability, working at age related expectations but identified as being at risk of failing to achieve their social, developmental or academic potential due to extreme anxiety or fragile mental health. Oakmore provides a safe secure, holistic and nurturing environment with a higher level of pastoral, emotional support and social skills support.