Oakhill Senior School
Oakhill Senior School
Welcome to Oakhill Secondary School, Whalley in the heart of the beautiful Ribble Valley.
Oakhill Senior School is a friendly, family-oriented, independent secondary school, based in Lancashire, offering ‘excellent’ all round education and care for children aged 11-16 years.
Our manageable class sizes (on average 15) are considered the optimum for our teaching staff to truly engage individually with every child in each of their lessons, while still enabling multiple and diverse friendships to thrive.
Our Lancashire secondary school believes strong pastoral support is essential. Students are led under the guidance of their Form Tutor, and are each assigned their own Personal Tutor in their final years to help steer them through the challenge of GCSEs and the choices which lie beyond Oakhill School. As a small school we are able to give individual time to our students and GCSE students meet regularly with the Principal and their personal tutors to ensure that they are on track to achieve their academic potential.
The staff here really do know, like and take an interest in every single child, just as their own families do. The team are devoted to achieving each pupil’s personal potential, whatever that may be.”
It will be just as hard for us as parents, let alone our son, to leave Oakhill and we cannot thank you enough for the way you have helped, guided and supported him to become the confident. Independent, headstrong, all round lovely young man of whom we are very proud.”
I looked at other Secondary schools for my daughter, but after 8 wonderful years watching her grow and thrive at Oakhill Nursery and then Oakhill Preparatory School, I couldn’t see any real reason to lose that connection and friendship group. She’s now settled in Year 7 and the move was so smooth we know we made the right decision.”
Our Oakhill Family
When a new pupil starts at Oakhill, whichever Secondary school class they join, we gain a whole new family – children, parents, grandparents and relatives. Everyone can become a part of our community.
All our children are encouraged to mix across all year groups, learning to speak to those older and look out for those younger than themselves.
We’re big on communication here at Oakhill Secondary and we love to see parents in school at the start and end of the school day, to catch up, see what we’ve been doing and have a chat if needed.
For those wanting more involvement, there’s our Association for parents, grandparents and relations of our students to be a part of something supportive and fun, helping with things like trips, hands-on activities and our well-known fundraisers, like the Christmas Market and Golf Days.
Where is Oakhill Senior School?
Oakhill Secondary School is housed in our beautiful, traditional 19th century building dating back to 1892, within the impressive grounds of Oakhill School, Whalley in the beautiful Ribble Valley; oozing character and history, the students are surrounded and inspired by the achievements of their predecessors, our Oakhill Alumni.
Our Facilities
Every pupil at Oakhill Senior School is given their own iPad which is used to enable their learning both in the classroom and working from home remotely.
Oakhill Secondary School recreational areas are set apart for some time away from the younger children. Outdoors there are lots of opportunities to take a time out, sit and chat to friends or staff or to make the most of the fresh air and run off some steam.
All students have access to specialist rooms for Art, Design Technology, Science and Computing. Our PE and sports department can access the 3G pitch, fully equipped Technogym Fitness Suite, Sports Hall and Dance Studio.
Year 11
Our oldest students in Year 11 are encouraged to be ambassadors for the school and take on roles of responsibility. From roles with the School Council to fundraising for THOMAS, CAFOD and various charities, all our children are encouraged to give service to the wider community and to think of others before themselves. They have the opportunity to play a leading role in school developing maturity and self-confidence, before moving on to the next stage of their education in a wide range of academic institutions.
Outside the Classroom
Pupils are able to enjoy up to 50 extra-curricular activities on offer after school and during the lunch hour, including languages, sports and art. We also offer a wide range of trips both at home and abroad, including our hugely popular annual ski trip or cultural trips to European cities.
We even have our own private buses to offer a safe and bespoke journey to school.
Academic Performance
We are a non-selective school and we have high expectations for all our students whatever their ability. At every level, students achieve their predicted target with most of them exceeding it by 1, 2 or even 3 levels.
Our students are successful in securing a place at their first choice sixth form or college when they leave us. We are immensely proud of our GCSE results for 2020, our best set of results in the last fifteen years, with an overall GCSE pass rate of 99% and a fifth of these at the highest grade of 9. In such a difficult year for everyone, this shows we are going from strength to strength!
In short, our staff consistently achieve excellence in academic attainment, behaviour and, perhaps most importantly, adding value to each individual child.
Life after Oakhill Secondary School
Our students leave to follow the path they’ve chosen once they’re 16. For many, this may be Sixth form and on to higher education. Others are keen to enter the world of work and will choose a vocational future such as an apprenticeship.
Whatever the future holds for our Year 11s, we always wish them well, proud that we’ve instilled in them, the best that Oakhill Secondary School has to offer.
