Oaklands is a very popular and high-performing, Catholic Secondary School in the Diocese of Portsmouth, serving parishes in a twelve-mile radius. We are over-subscribed in all year groups.
The Sixth Form College at Oaklands Catholic School is relatively small with around 250 students, drawn from the main school as well as from diverse schools over a wide catchment area. Approximately 55% of students are Catholic. Catholic numbers have fallen in recent years mirroring the situation in parishes, and this is compounded by issues related to home-school transport.
Oaklands is one of the most diverse schools in Hampshire. There are over 60 languages spoken by staff and students from different parts of the world. Oaklands is truly ‘Catholic’, welcoming students and staff from different faiths and none. This diversity enriches our community, leading to recognition and understanding of each other, as seen in our Culture Week celebrations.
At Level 2, our curriculum offer mainly consists of GCSEs with a high EBacc component. Post-16 students typically take three or four A Levels and we also offer a limited range of Cambridge Technical courses. Alongside their studies, Sixth Form students follow an extensive enrichment programme which includes timetabled sessions on core religious education, mentoring younger students, work experience options, sports and arts.
The school leadership structure is distributed; at a senior level the school operates with an extended leadership team that comprises a Headteacher, two Deputy Headteachers, three Assistant Headteachers, four Heads of core Departments, SENCO and Catholic Ethos and Culture Lead.
The school has two Lay Chaplains who coordinate all liturgical and worship. celebrations supported by a Chaplaincy Team composed of staff and students.
- The sense of community within the school is exceptionally strong and lived out through words and action.
- The school meets its requirement for 10% of RE at KS3 and KS4 and 5% at KS5.
- Outcomes in RE are high with students making good or better progress.
- Oaklands is committed to developing Catholics into positions of leadership, and this is reflected in the majority of those in the Extended Leadership team being Catholics.
- The leadership is conscious of succession planning.
- Opportunities for worship and spiritual development are extensive.
- The school’s commitment to improving Catholic education in the Diocese has been seen in the Expansion of the Academy Trust to include Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School.
- Pastoral care is exemplary, recognising preferential treatment of the poor.
- Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is explicitly taught through curriculum subjects.
Oaklands has also been instrumental in setting up the Oscar Romero Award Trust to support Catholic schools across the nation to embed Catholic Social Teaching principles in their day[1]to-day activities, This is recognised by the CES and is working in 280 schools in 20 Dioceses in England, Wales and Scotland.
At Oaklands, we maintain that our Catholic provision is outstanding. However, this does not mean that we stand still. As the context in which we work changes, we need to respond accordingly developing new initiatives and further embedding what we do well.
