The Oaks Primary School & Nursery

About The Oaks Primary School & Nursery

The Oaks Primary School & Nursery in Crawley is a state primary for mixed genders aged 4 to 11, and it is currently oversubscribed. For the 2025/26 intake, the school offered 50 places and received 103 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.06. Of those, 45 were first-preference applications, and all 45 received offers. The school has 447 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, meaning it is operating above its official capacity. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 21.1%, which is higher than the national average for primary schools. The school does not have a religious character, and there is no nursery provision on site. The headteacher is Gary Mainwaring.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024, the school was rated Good across all graded areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is consistent with its previous Good rating from 2015. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 66% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is above the local authority average of 56%. The school ranked 7th out of 21 primary schools in Crawley on this metric, placing it in the top third locally. Average scores in reading and maths were both 104, and 5% of pupils achieved the higher standard in all three subjects. The school does not have a sixth form.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, sports hall, sensory room, music rooms and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, netball, dance and cross country, and there are clubs such as chess, gardening, art, film, book and choir. The school has identified SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 57 parents in the 2024/25 period show mixed feelings: 87% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 91% agreed or strongly agreed that their child can take part in clubs. However, only 44% agreed or strongly agreed that concerns are dealt with properly, and 43% agreed or strongly agreed that the school has high expectations. This school will suit families who value a strong academic record relative to the local area and a broad range of extracurricular activities, but who may want to investigate pastoral support and communication further.

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