Oakmoor School Review 2026: Modern 11–16 Academy in Bordon with a strong pastoral core

FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking data places Oakmoor School at 3,100th in England and 1st in Bordon for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This position sits below England average overall, placing the school within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure.

Looking at the underlying GCSE indicators provided:

• Progress 8: -0.26, which typically indicates that, on average, students make less progress than peers nationally with similar starting points.

• Attainment 8: 39.1, which reflects average achievement across a basket of subjects.

• EBacc average point score: 3.36, compared with an England average of 4.08 on the same measure.

What this means for families is best framed in practical terms. For a student who responds well to clear structure, consistent routines, and strong pastoral scaffolding, Oakmoor’s culture may support steady progress and improved engagement. For families seeking a school primarily on the basis of top-end academic outcomes, the published figures suggest you should look closely at subject-level performance, intervention support, and how well the curriculum supports strong literacy, because the headline picture remains a work in progress.

If you are comparing local options, FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you view Oakmoor’s GCSE indicators alongside nearby schools, using consistent measures rather than marketing narratives.

The most recent inspection evidence gives a detailed picture of curriculum and classroom practice. The curriculum was described as carefully planned and well sequenced, with deliberate alignment to what pupils learn in primary school. English is structured around recurring themes, and mathematics was highlighted as particularly well planned. Teaching was characterised by strong subject knowledge and shared planning, with a focus on revisiting key vocabulary and using questioning to check what pupils know and remember.

There are also two important developmental notes that remain useful for parents in 2026. First, the same evidence base noted that some subjects, including history and design technology, were at an earlier stage of curriculum development in Key Stage 3 at that point in time. Second, it flagged reading breadth as an area to strengthen, especially reading around subjects and for pleasure, because limited reading can cap the sophistication of writing.

A sensible parent takeaway is to ask targeted questions in any visit or conversation: what does Oakmoor do, year by year, to build reading stamina and vocabulary, and how are subject teams ensuring that Key Stage 3 sequencing is consistently strong across departments. Those are the kinds of curriculum details that most reliably predict whether a school is moving in the right direction.

Oakmoor is an 11–16 school, so transition after GCSE matters more than it does for a school with its own sixth form. Oakmoor’s post-16 guidance materials emphasise that young people must remain in education or training until age 18, and the school signposts multiple routes, including A-levels, apprenticeships, technical qualifications, and traineeships.

Careers education is framed around structured input over time. The school states that students in Years 7 and 8 receive a futures lesson once per fortnight, which explicitly includes learning about post-16 opportunities, and its careers programme outlines a mentor programme intended to support students in securing a post-16 destination.

For parents, the practical implication is that you should consider Oakmoor and a potential post-16 provider as a joined-up choice. If your child is likely to pursue A-levels, ask how subject guidance and options support those pathways. If an apprenticeship or technical route is more likely, ask how employer encounters, guidance interviews, and application support are scheduled through Years 10 and 11.

Oakmoor’s admissions sit within Hampshire’s coordinated admissions system for state-funded schools. The trust is the admissions authority, while the local authority coordinates the process for Year 7 entry.

For September 2026 entry into Year 7, Hampshire’s published key dates are clear:

• Applications open: 08 September 2025

• Application deadline: 31 October 2025

• National offer day: 02 March 2026

Oakmoor’s published admission number for Year 7 entry in September 2026 is 180.

Oversubscription criteria matter if demand exceeds places. The trust policy prioritises, in order, children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, looked-after and previously looked-after children, exceptional need (supported by evidence), children of staff (under defined conditions), siblings, catchment area, then out-of-catchment priorities including attendance at named linked schools, service premium eligibility, and distance measured as the shortest straight-line distance. Named linked schools include Bordon Junior School, St Matthew’s Church of England Aided Primary School (Blackmoor), Woodlea Primary School, The Holme Church of England Primary School, and Weyford Nursery and Primary Academy.

Oakmoor has also historically run open mornings in September. For admissions planning, treat open events as typically taking place early in the autumn term, and check the school’s current listings for the latest dates, as published dates can be superseded each year.

If you are using distance as part of your strategy, FindMySchool’s Map Search is a practical way to sense-check how your home location compares with recent allocation patterns, while remembering that proximity can help but never guarantees a place.

Pastoral care is one of Oakmoor’s strongest, most consistently evidenced features. In the latest inspection evidence, pupils described staff support as reliable and responsive, and highlighted the tutoring system that mixes year groups as a positive mechanism for connection and looking out for one another.

Safeguarding is described as effective, with a large safeguarding team known to pupils, regular staff updates, and specific vigilance around online bullying. Parents and pupils both expressed confidence in the school’s safety culture.

Oakmoor also describes having non-teaching pastoral assistants available throughout the school day, which is a helpful operational detail for families who want clarity on who handles day-to-day concerns alongside tutors.

Oakmoor runs a structured co-curricular programme with a mixture of sport, creative arts, and academic enrichment. The practical benefit for families is that clubs help students anchor friendships and routines, particularly important in an 11–16 school where there is a clear run-up to GCSE options and examinations.

Examples from the Autumn 2025 co-curricular timetable include:

• Chess, board, and card game club, and a homework club running after school, which can suit students who benefit from a supervised, steady end to the day.

• History club and politics club, which indicate that humanities enrichment is not limited to exam classes, and can help students build confidence in discussion, vocabulary, and wider reading habits.

• Choir, plus performing arts opportunities such as Expression Dance Live, New Views (Years 9 and 10), and open rehearsals, giving a clear route for students who enjoy performance but want options that sit alongside sport.

• Sport is prominent, with year-group football squads, netball, rugby, badminton, and table tennis, including use of an astroturf area and sports hall for training and fixtures.

• A practical life skills strand appears through a GCSE food club, which can help Key Stage 4 students build competence and confidence through applied learning.

The Ofsted evidence also references well-planned “experience days” as part of broader personal development, including sessions on topics such as consent that students said made them think carefully about behaviour and relationships.

Oakmoor’s published school day runs from 08:30 to 15:00, with a five-period structure.

Travel planning is taken seriously, with school-published travel mapping that highlights walking and cycling routes, bus stops, cycle parking, and park and stride parking options in the local area.

Given the size of the site and the after-school programme, it is worth thinking through end-of-day logistics. If your child will attend clubs, confirm collection expectations and safe travel arrangements in advance.

As a state school, there are no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual associated costs such as uniform, equipment, trips, and optional enrichment activities, which vary by year group and choices.

• Academic results are currently below England average. Progress 8 is -0.26 and the school’s FindMySchool GCSE ranking places it in the bottom 40% of schools in England on that measure. For academically driven families, it is important to ask about subject-level improvement plans and targeted intervention.

• Reading culture remains a key lever. The most recent inspection evidence highlighted that pupils did not consistently read widely enough around subjects or for pleasure, which can limit the depth of writing. Families with keen readers should ask how Oakmoor is strengthening reading habits across Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4.

• Curriculum consistency across subjects is not uniform. At the time of the latest inspection evidence, some Key Stage 3 subjects, including history and design technology, were still developing curriculum clarity and sequencing. Ask what has changed since then, and how leaders ensure consistent expectations across departments.

• Post-16 planning is part of the deal. With no sixth form, your shortlist should include at least one realistic post-16 pathway. Oakmoor provides guidance, but families still need to plan early for college, sixth form, apprenticeships, or technical routes.

Oakmoor School is a modern 11–16 academy with a clearly evidenced pastoral strength, a calm behaviour picture, and a safeguarding culture that reads as organised and taken seriously. Academic outcomes, as measured in the FindMySchool GCSE indicators, are currently below England average, so the best fit is often a family that values structure, safety, and relationships, and is comfortable engaging with the school about literacy and curriculum development.

Who it suits: students who benefit from consistent routines, supportive pastoral systems, and a broad enrichment timetable, particularly those whose confidence grows when adults know them well. For families who want a top-tier exam-results profile as the primary driver, Oakmoor is more likely to be a considered choice if you can see clear evidence of improvement in the departments that matter most to your child.