A new school with a clear, confident identity is a rare thing. Oakbridge is exactly that. It opened on 01 September 2024 as an academy free school, designed to grow year by year from Reception, rather than switching on as a full primary overnight.
The building and curriculum have been planned together. Reading is positioned as a core driver of daily life, supported by purpose-built reading spaces and a strong early reading model. Creativity is not treated as an optional extra either, an atelier is built into the school’s physical design, and the wider personal development plan leans into art, community events, and character education.
Because the school is new, families should expect some “first cohort” realities. The most recent Ofsted listing shows a small roll at present (18 pupils) within a planned capacity of 210, with no published inspection report yet. That combination makes the current offer feel intimate, but also evolving. The upside is that systems, routines, and culture can be built carefully from the start, with strong visibility for parents.
The school’s Christian vision is stated plainly and repeatedly: love, compassion, community, and courage are used as the working language for behaviour, relationships, and ambition. The headline vision, “Growing compassionate and courageous learners; building successful futures.” is presented as the organising idea, not just a slogan.
There is also a deliberate effort to connect faith to action and local responsibility. Alongside core curriculum aims, the school frames itself as rooted in its local area and committed to helping children play a positive role within it. That shows up most clearly in whole-school events and visitors, for example Remembrance learning that brought in a named local speaker (Major Wilson) and structured discussion about why remembrance matters.
Leadership is easy to pin down. The headteacher is Mrs Amy Ross, and the website positions her not only as the educational lead but also as the Designated Safeguarding Lead, which matters for parental reassurance in a new school setting where systems are still bedding in.
Oakbridge is also explicit that it is a growing school. The published FAQ explains why it opened with Reception only, citing national guidance that discourages brand-new schools from opening to all year groups at once. That gradual approach tends to create a cohesive early culture, because children and families are joining at the same stage, but it also means friendship groups, clubs, and routines may look different year to year as cohorts build.
For a new primary, the key question is not whether results are strong yet, but when results become meaningful and comparable.
Oakbridge opened in September 2024. That timing means there has not yet been a full cohort reaching the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) under the school’s provision, so families should not expect a long public track record of published end-of-primary outcomes at this stage.
What can be assessed now is intent and early implementation. The school is clear that reading sits central to the curriculum, and several published documents point to specific programmes and structured approaches being used as the school grows.
For parents comparing schools locally, this is a moment to use tools rather than rely on reputation. FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you benchmark nearby primaries with established Key Stage 2 results, while keeping Oakbridge on your shortlist as a newer option with a distinct approach.
Oakbridge’s curriculum story is unusually concrete for a small, new primary, largely because the school has published specific models and resources rather than broad promises.
Reading is positioned as the anchor: the website describes inviting reading spaces and high-quality texts across the school. Alongside that, published strategy documentation references Little Wandle, a structured phonics programme, and Mastering Number through the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, signalling a preference for well-defined, sequenced approaches in the early years and beyond.
This matters for parents deciding fit. A structured early reading approach tends to suit many children because routines are predictable and progress is easy to track. It can be especially helpful for pupils who benefit from clarity and repetition, while still allowing strong readers to accelerate through rich texts once decoding is secure.
A distinctive feature is the atelier, described as a dedicated space for creative development and art and design technology skills. The personal development content links this to a broader aim: building knowledge of artists, using gallery visits, and holding school-based gallery events for the local community so children see themselves as artists, not just pupils completing tasks.
The evidence here is practical, not theoretical. A published newsletter references children using sketchbooks confidently and learning about specific artists (Yayoi Kusama and Vincent van Gogh), which is the sort of detail parents can recognise as genuine curriculum delivery rather than marketing copy.
Pastoral and personal development approaches are also visible through named programmes. The published pupil premium strategy refers to Thrive, often used to support emotional development and readiness to learn, which may be particularly relevant for Reception and Year 1 cohorts who are building early school habits.
As a primary school that is still growing from Reception upwards, Oakbridge does not yet have long-established transition patterns into local secondary schools.
What families can do now is plan ahead in two sensible ways:
Look at the likely feeder routes based on where you live in Northallerton and how North Yorkshire allocates secondary places, then treat Oakbridge as your child’s start point rather than the full journey.
Ask about how the school intends to handle transition preparation when Year 6 cohorts are in place, for example strengthening study habits, independence, and familiarity with larger settings.
For many families, the key “next step” decision is less about destinations today and more about whether the early years experience aligns with what you want: structured reading, strong routines, and a values-led culture grounded in Church of England identity.
Oakbridge is clear that it does not operate a tight micro-catchment in the way some established primaries do. The admissions page states there is no specific catchment area and that applications are welcomed from all families.
Even so, demand is meaningful. The most recent admissions demand data shows 53 applications for 23 offers for the primary entry route, a ratio that points to genuine competition for places. The same results describes the school as oversubscribed for that route.
Applications are coordinated through the local authority rather than handled entirely in-house. The school describes the local authority common application process and national offer day communications.
For Reception entry in September 2026 in North Yorkshire, the closing date is 15 January 2026, and National Offer Day is 16 April 2026.
Oakbridge also advertises opportunities for prospective families to visit. The published diary dates include a New Starters 2026 open morning scheduled for 17 October (with timings given on the school’s diary page).
Practical tip: families can use FindMySchool’s Map Search to sanity-check travel time and daily logistics, particularly if you are considering the school from outside the immediate neighbourhood.
Applications
53
Total received
Places Offered
23
Subscription Rate
2.3x
Apps per place
A new school’s pastoral quality often shows up in the basics: clarity of safeguarding leadership, consistent routines, and communication with parents.
Oakbridge names its headteacher as the Designated Safeguarding Lead and also identifies a deputy safeguarding role within the early years leadership team, which suggests safeguarding is embedded structurally rather than treated as a bolt-on.
Wellbeing is also signposted through school-wide events and calendar choices. For example, the diary includes Hello Yellow to support young people’s mental health, and Anti-Bullying Week, indicating a deliberate annual rhythm around wellbeing themes rather than reactive messaging.
Oakbridge’s extracurricular offer is closely tied to wraparound care, which is a meaningful differentiator for working families.
The school states it has provided out-of-hours childcare since September 2024 and describes a theme-based programme including arts and crafts, drama, sports, cooking, special interest activities, snacks, a quiet reading area, and relaxation.
The “quiet reading area” point is small but telling. It aligns with the school’s reading-first identity and suggests the day is not split into academic time versus childcare time, but designed to feel coherent for children.
The diary shows a packed programme of school-wide moments, for example Harvest, carols, fundraising events, and seasonal activities. The aim here is not just entertainment; for younger pupils, shared events are a fast way to build belonging and predictable routines.
The published school day runs 08:45 to 15:15, with classroom doors open from 08:30 to support a calm start. Breakfast club is available from 07:45. After-school club runs until 17:15 Monday to Thursday and 16:15 on Fridays.
On transport and access, the school is in Northallerton, which is well served by road links and rail services via Northallerton station. For families driving, the practical question is not distance but peak-time flow, especially as the school roll grows. A trial run at drop-off time is a sensible reality check before committing.
New school, limited public track record. Oakbridge opened on 01 September 2024, so published end-of-primary results and long-run transition patterns are not yet available.
Inspection information is still pending. Ofsted has not yet published an inspection report for the school, which is common for new providers but still relevant for families who rely heavily on inspection evidence.
Demand looks real despite the “no catchment” message. The current admissions demand data points to more applicants than offers for the main primary entry route, so parents should treat entry as competitive rather than automatic.
Growing-school change is part of the deal. A roll that starts small can feel personal and responsive, but staffing, clubs, and routines may evolve quickly as year groups fill and the building reaches capacity.
Oakbridge is a new Church of England primary with unusually clear intent: reading-first, creativity built into the physical space via an atelier, and a practical wraparound offer that is designed as part of school life rather than a separate service.
Best suited to families who like the idea of joining a school early in its journey, and who value a values-led culture with strong early reading routines and reliable childcare coverage around the school day. The main judgement call is comfort with newness, you are choosing direction and design as much as track record.
It is too early to judge in the usual “track record” sense because the school opened on 01 September 2024, so it does not yet have years of published end-of-primary outcomes. What is clear is the school’s direction: reading is positioned as central, curriculum choices reference structured programmes, and wraparound provision is in place from early on.
The school states there is no specific catchment area and that it welcomes applications from all families. Admission is coordinated through the local authority’s common application process.
In North Yorkshire, the closing date for on-time primary applications for September 2026 is 15 January 2026, and National Offer Day is 16 April 2026.
Yes. The school day page states breakfast club is available from 07:45. After-school club runs until 17:15 Monday to Thursday and 16:15 on Fridays.
The school has been designed around its curriculum priorities, with reading spaces highlighted as central and a purpose-built atelier to support art and design work. It also frames itself as a growing school building community through whole-school events and parent-led fundraising activity.
Get in touch with the school directly
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