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welcome TO OAKWOOD SPECIALIST COLLEGE

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As Principal of Oakwood Specialist College, it is a genuine pleasure to welcome you and to share more about this very special place. Oakwood is a community where young people achieve extraordinary things every day, supported by a dedicated, caring and highly committed staff team.

Our recent Ofsted inspection (March 2025) recognised this, awarding us Outstanding in every area, including overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and provision for learners with high needs.

We are immensely proud that inspectors highlighted our learners’ impeccable behaviour, their high levels of engagement, and the way they regularly exceed the expectations of their Education, Health and Care Plans.

At Oakwood, we celebrate the individuality of every learner. We work closely with them, their families and professionals to ensure they enjoy a rich blend of happy, creative and purposeful learning experiences. Our ambitious curriculum is designed so that each learner makes strong progress and is fully prepared for their next steps after college; whether that is increased independence, employment, or further study.

Preparing for the future sits at the heart of everything we do. Our outstanding study programmes include high quality work experience, personalised careers guidance and exciting enrichment opportunities, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, all of which inspectors praised for their impact on personal development and empowerment.

I am especially proud of our therapeutically informed approach to learning. Our multi disciplinary team; including Speech and Language and creative arts therapy, work closely with teaching teams to deliver highly individualised therapeutic strategies. Ofsted commended this integration, noting how effectively learners build communication skills, self regulate and develop confidence.

You can feel the energy, warmth and positivity the moment you arrive at Oakwood. I warmly encourage you to visit us, meet our exceptional learners and team members, and experience our community for yourself. I hope you choose to make our college your college.

Esther Williams
College Principal

DAWLISH CAMPUS
Torpoint CAMPUS
YAte CAMPUS

DELIVERING OUR VALUES

At Oakwood we provide a rich curriculum that is focused on preparing our learners for adulthood right from the start. We work with learners, their families and other professionals to understand each young person’s aspirations and use this information to design individualised learning programmes that help them to build the skills, knowledge and behaviours that they need to achieve their goals.

We offer study programmes that are built around the targets that are set within each learners, Education, Health and Care Plans, and also provide opportunities for them to:

  • develop learners skills in maths and English
  • complete a personal growth programme that includes relationships and sex education
  • enjoy enrichment opportunities and take part in health and well-being activities
  • develop our learner’s work skills and take part in work experience.

Our aim is to support learners to progress in to living with greater independence, moving in to paid or unpaid work, or moving on to further education such as in a general further education College.

Each learner that comes to Oakwood is different, and so is their journey. We recognise and celebrate this by ensuring that each study programmes is individualised and supports learners to reach their individual goals.

Nurture White Lime 2024
Flourish White Lime 2024
Equality and Diversity

GALLERY

REFERRALS & ADMISSIONS

Learner intake to Oakwood is determined through an assessment process. Parents and Social Workers are welcome to contact the college for more information once you have read our prospectus. We take applications at all points of the year.

Come and Visit
Learners and their families and carers are encouraged to come and visit us at Oakwood at any point during their secondary education, or if considering a move during post 16, to get a feel for what we have to offer. Our admissions team are always on hand to answer any questions you may have and to talk honestly and openly about the college’s suitability.
 
Funding
Oakwood is an independent specialist College which means that the fees are funded in part by the local authority where the young person lives. To be funded for a placement at Oakwood, the local authority should be in agreement as to the suitability of the placement and agree to provide the funding.
 
Funding Panel
Your SEND Casework Officer will collect additional information/consult with local providers and take your application to a funding panel for a decision. The placement at Oakwood College is only agreed once the EHCP is finalised naming Oakwood College as the onward school/college.
What’s Next?
If you are interested in a place at Oakwood you should speak to a member of the 0-25 team to discuss the move. We are happy to attend transition meetings and annual reviews, if we are invited, to explore the suitability of a placement together. If it is agreed that Oakwood is a suitable placement then the local authority will send a consultation to us, which we will respond to outlining the programme we can offer.

THE CORE OFFER

Oakwood Specialist College is for people between the ages of 16 – 25 with an EHCP, who have a range of special educational needs and disabilities, particularly those with Autism Spectrum and difficulties in the areas of communication and emotional regulation.

At Oakwood, we provide a specialist learning environment where learners can experience positive learning opportunities that will enable them to develop their full social, emotional, academic and physical potential. Our learners study a range of exciting learning programmes whilst also developing their feelings of self -worth, building positive relationships and developing their life and social skills in order that they will become happy, confident and valued members of society.

What we offer:

  • We are a specialist provision and as such we create bespoke learning programmes for individual learners with a range of special education needs and disabilities.
  • We provide a therapeutically informed curriculum and have access to an in house therapy team including speech and language therapy and psychological services.
  • We use restorative approaches in order to help learners understand their place in the world and help them to develop the skills and mental agility they need in order to forge positive relationships, cope with conflict and rebuild friendships if problems arise.
  • Learners take part in small group teaching with LSA support.
  • Learners access 1:1 and small group intervention work and transitional support to help them to grow and develop.
  • Learner progress is reviewed systematically and regularly, and parents and carers are provided with regular reports and invited to attend meetings to agree targets and discuss progress.
  • Learners take part in weekly enrichment and Self Esteem building activities such as Duke of Edinburgh, drama, art and physical wellbeing.
  • For those learners that would benefit from examinations and accreditation we offer recognised qualifications in Functional Skills and other employability related qualifications.

Oakwood Specialist College partners with The Met Office

FIND OUT MORE

GET IN TOUCH

If you would like to find out more about Oakwood, please fill in the form below or contact:

Principal: Esther Williams
Tel: +44 (0)330 135 8 170
Email: [email protected]
Oakwood All Web Map
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Autism Accreditation

  • Autism Accreditation is an autism-specific quality assurance programme.
  • It was set up by the National Autistic Society in 1992 to improve the support available to autistic people in organisations throughout the UK and across the world.
  • Over 500 organisations in the UK and around the world are now accredited, including: adult services, colleges, inclusion units, local authorities, playgroups, prisons, schools, short break services and more.
  • To achieve Autism Accreditation, provisions have to meet a standard of excellence and follow a framework for continuous self-examination and development.
  • For more information about Autism Accreditation or to get involved, please visit: www.autism.org.uk/accreditation.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

We work closely with our children/young people, their families and professionals to create bespoke programmes of learning for students, which are tailored to their educational and social and emotional needs, supporting them to achieve their full potential. This means that we deliver a personalised curriculum, which, where possible, acknowledges the national curriculum and meets the individual needs of our students, whilst also supporting them to meet the outcomes identified in their EHCPs.

To achieve this, every student has an individual education plan which identifies their areas of need and how we can best address them, both in terms of staff approach and the curriculum that they are provided.  Our goal is to provide access to the best academic outcomes possible as well as preparing our students for adulthood and the next stage of their education by equipping them with the skills required to achieve personal success.

“Outstanding in all Areas”...

A place where young people achieve amazing things!

“Learners regularly exceed the
expectations of their EHC plan, such as
gaining meaningful paid employment”

“Learners make excellent progress
from their starting points”

“Leaders have integrated a range of
highly individualised therapeutic
interventions and approaches into
the curriculum effectively”

“Learners behave impeccably and are
keen to contribute to teaching sessions
and discussions”

“Learners gain an excellent understanding
of appropriate behaviours and
healthy relationships”

“Staff support learners to participate in
high-quality work experience activities
linked to long-term goals and interests”

Esther Williams

I have been College Principal at Oakwood Specialist College since 2018. It is an absolute privilege to lead a team of dedicated and caring people that put the learner at the centre of everything they do.

Prior to joining Oakwood, I held a number of senior posts in large Further Education Colleges in the Southwest including Head of Faculty and Assistant Director with responsibility for Quality and Student experience. I have led and taught on teacher education programmes and worked with schools and prison education. In my early career I was lecturer in Sport, and my first teaching role was in foundation learning working with young people with SEND. I have extensive experience in quality improvement and teaching, learning and assessment and am passionate about supporting teacher development.

Wanda Green

Throughout my life I have enjoyed supporting children in a variety of settings. I started out as a Cub Scout Leader, moving onto an Officers position in the Army Cadet Force. Whilst at University, I took advantage of the long holidays working for a children’s adventure company as an activity instructor. I started work in the children’s residential sector in 2000. Since this time, I have worked in several roles including Support Worker, Children’s Homes Manager, Project Manager and Regional Manager. I held direct responsibility for Safeguarding working as Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) within several of the settings I was allocated to.

I joined Phoenix in June 2018 as an Area Manager. Moving into a Quality role in 2020 my involvement across our settings increased to include adults and education. Currently I support the Senior Leadership Team education and care to review safeguarding policies and procedures, provide consistency of systems for the management of safeguarding concerns and oversee wider aspects of safeguarding such as training.

My role within governance is to support and review the processes of Safeguarding within the College. I have regular direct contact with the DSL and Deputy DSL’s across the campus’s in order to reflect on safeguarding approaches with Learners and our Team Members. I oversee that actions set within Internal Safeguarding Quality Audits are completed and that training and mentoring for the College teams is appropriate. It is our responsibility working within a multi-disciplinary team to ensure the safety of the Learners and Team Members both within the College Campus and in their home locations.

Darren Jackson

I have been involved in the governance processes for specialist residential colleges, schools and health care settings from 2004. I joined Phoenix in 2021.

My role within the governance team is to support and challenge the College Principal in ensuring that the highest quality of outcomes is achieved. This includes day-to-day operational efficiency and a culture of continual improvement and self-refection. I have specific responsibility as Link Governor for RSE.

I commenced my educational career in 1998. I helped to create one of Wales’ specialist flagship schools for pupils aged 3-19 with profound and complex needs, including autism. My inspirational approach to teaching and learning was recognised by the Welsh Government and as such I became a standard bearer for the teaching of learners with complex needs. I was instrumental in opening and developing Wales’ first Residential Specialist College for young people and adults with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and behaviours that challenge.

I am an experienced Director for educational services and Responsible Individual which has included formal education, residential care and the day-to-day operations of clinical services, within a team of almost 1600. I was accountable for leading governance and quality assurance proceedings and developing clear robust systems and process for service wide self-evaluation and risk management resulting in a strategic and transparent vision for growth and development. This included scribing company policies, oversee all safeguarding procedures management of teams to fulfil requirements that ensure pupil safety. I remained actively involved in further promoting the understanding of autism within mainstream education and the wider community; delivering training on ASC for schools, colleges and general public as well as the initial teacher training students at The University of South Wales who are studying on the post-graduate certificate of education programme.

I constantly seek to raise awareness of specialist education, including autism amongst professionals and the general public, speaking on TV and radio and writing articles for the local, national and specialist media.

Tom Massie

I joined Phoenix in 2017 as Group Quality & Service Delivery Director with a direct remit for our care operations and quality teams. In 2019 I joined the team of Governors for Oakwood Specialist College with a focus on Teaching & Learning. As an organisation we have during this time developed the robustness of our internal management structures by introducing an Operations Director and a Quality Manager to support in the oversight and governance of the college.

I am educated to Master level with degrees in Economics and Statistics & Management Science. I have worked as a Director within multiple companies spanning a range of care and education services giving me significant familiarity with regulatory and governance standards across multiple regulators and countries.

My experience working with people with additional learning needs gives me the determination that the quality of their education must be inspiring and innovative to meet their individual needs.

Paula Thomas

Having joined Phoenix in 2025, Paula is responsible for leading the company’s financial strategy, performance, reporting, and long-range business planning, as well as stakeholder relations, treasury, tax planning, controlling, and audit.

A fellow chartered accountant with over 25 years experiences in various companies spanning the engineering, and manufacturing sectors, Paula has worked in PE backed, corporate, and private businesses, through periods of rapid growth, complex changes, and numerous global events.

Paula’s career has progressed in organisations such as Wood Thilsted (Offshore Wind Consultancy), Nonwovenn (Technical Fabrics) , Stirling dynamics (Aviation & Marine), Specialist Aviation Services (Aviatin), and Knorr Bremse (Rail).

In her free time, Paula enjoys travelling, paddleboarding, self-development, and spending time with friends.

Jon Pain

On joining Phoenix in 2015 I became chair of Governors at the Oakwood Specialist College with a remit to improve financial stability and the quality of the setting as part of overarching improvements to the Phoenix organisation in my substantive role as Chief Executive.

Today the focus is on facilitating high quality education by, in part, improving curriculums and teaching and ensuring Learners are best equipped with communication skills and experiences to ensure they are participative members of society.

I have held senior appointments across a range of sectors including manufacturing, media, logistics, tourism and healthcare with a number of respected well-known companies both at International, national and regional levels. I have worked with numerous regulators including; Care Inspectorate Wales, Care Inspectorate Scotland, Ofsted, Estyn, CQC, The Office of Rail & Road and Ofcom.

I have experience of trusteeship with a range of charities including Ltd, CIC & PLC structures.

I have a daughter who is now in her late twenties who successfully passed through private primary and then secondary state education, college then university and a partner who is an artist.

I strive for our Learners to enjoy their time at Oakwood, to strive to achieve the best they can and to be productive and contributing members of society. I also want to see our Team Members experience fulfilling careers making a positive difference to the People we Support and to enrich in turn their own lives.

Feedback from last Academic year

Philosophy on feedback

As part of our approach to reflective practice Phoenix Learning and Care recognise and embrace the importance of developing a culture of continual learning and development.  We welcome feedback on our achievements and the opportunity to share best practice, however we equally understand the importance of learning from our shortfalls. As such we welcome hearing about where we may have not lived up to our high standards and we truly value the opportunity to reflect and learn about areas that we need to develop further.

Within the last academic year we have received the following number of compliments and complaints.  

COMPLIMENTS
1
COMPLAINTS
0

If you would like to provide feedback to the school or wish to make us aware of a compliment or complaint then you can email the school direct.

Alternatively, you may contact our Operations Director for Education, Darren Jackson on: [email protected]

We treat all concerns appropriately and all complaints are investigated thoroughly following our complaints policy and procedure which can be found within the Policies section of this website.  

REFERRALS

Our proprietors Phoenix Learning and Care, welcome enquiries for placements in any of our services.

Please call us on 03330 150331 or email [email protected]

We will provide an initial response to all enquiries as soon as possible, advising the options available and indicative dates of admission.

The referrals team can discuss the local offer and where appropriate, put you in contact with the respective Registered Manager or Head Teacher to discuss the practical areas in greater detail.

The Young Person and/or Student are openly encouraged to visit along with parents, guardians or Social Workers to see if the placement is suitable.

Once the placement is confirmed, we work to ensure a smooth transition including the completion of required documentation.