WKA - school - Oakley

Primary Site: Waveney Road, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JU
Secondary Site: Pembury Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 4NE

Mr Martin Absolom - Principal
Mrs Karen Marsh - Primary Site Head of Education
Mr Gordon Tillman - Secondary Site Head of Education

5 – 19 years (school year 2006-2007 there were 50 primary, 90 secondary and 20 post 16 pupils)

Oakley has been re-designated under the Kent Special Schools’ Review and is now The District Special School for Tunbridge Wells.

Oakley School is a school with a new designation and is undergoing managed change in order to meet the needs of a wider range of pupils with Profound, Severe and Complex needs. Between September 2000 and December 2005, Oakley School was designated as a Day Community Special School able to provide 175 places for pupils aged 3 – 19 with communication difficulties who may also experience associated learning and behavioural difficulties. The re-designation in January 2006 provided for 160 places for pupils aged 5 – 19, with a nursery provision from Ravensdale, a local Barnardos run SEN nursery, and it remains a co-educational day school. The Local Authority intends to carry out building works in order to locate the primary school on the secondary site at some stage in the future. No child currently at the school will need to leave.

All pupils and students have a Statement of Special Educational Need, which recommends Oakley School. A number of pupils attend for an assessment place to explore whether they school is able to meet their needs. Pupils enjoy a ‘taster day’ with the school before they come on an assessment or permanent place. They are able to join in with a class for the day and they learn where to find things, what happens at break and meal times, and they meet some of the staff and other pupils.

information compiled by West Kent Afasic from Oakley School Prospectus March 2004
updated with information supplied by Oakley School February 2007