Oakwood School in Horley is an 11-16 Secondary School of approximately 1600 students and we are all proud of our School. Our motto is to ‘Achieving Excellence Together’ so that every student’s learning is the best it can be. We follow the ‘Oakwood Way’ which represents the principles of good teaching and learning, building self esteem, creating the atmosphere for learning and providing opportunities to celebrate success.  

Dear Candidate

Thank you for your interest in applying for a post at Oakwood School. 

Horley is a small town close to Gatwick Airport with very good transport links for the A23 and the mainline rail to London. We are also within easy reach of Brighton (about 40 minutes) and the M25 is about 20 minutes away (if the traffic is clear). Horley is currently undergoing a regeneration project as approximately 2,000 houses are due to be built here over the next three years which will offer the opportunity for further improvement in the educational vision for our children.  

Our website, which has been developed to include as much information as possible, has many features which will give you a flavour of Oakwood. You will see we are a very open community which cares very much about the students’ progress. To this end we continue to work hard to ensure that students reach their potential and really enjoy their time at Oakwood.  

It is an exciting time for Oakwood as we focus on ensuring we have high quality support for teaching so that our students all make good progress. We are a motivated team of professionals all aiming to ‘Achieve Excellence Together’ (these words were chosen by the whole school community to show our shared vision).   

Relationships are very important to us all and we really care about the students and each other. Therefore the emphasis on learning extends to everyone within the Oakwood community. Our weekly optional training is designed around needs and we invest in a coaching philosophy and, therefore, we provide many opportunities for leadership development. Should you be successful, you will certainly be welcomed as part of our valued staff.  

Oakwood is a large and expanding school of approximately 1600 students. We have split the population into ‘Years’ which enables the students to be cared for in smaller units. Each student also belongs to a House and we encourage a community ethos. The students are loyal and enjoy the friendly rivalry around House activities. Their personal development is also central to the school ethos. 

Our priority is to shape our school to fit the students’ needs and aspirations rather than fit students to the school. For this reason we adopt the Pathways Approach where we help students ‘Learn to Learn’. Opportunities for elements of vocational pathways exist as well as accelerated progress and Gifted and Talented opportunities. 

I do hope that after reading the information included in this pack that you will get a ‘feel’ for the school. Do look at the website, it does have some very useful information. If you require further details then please contact us at the school or email recruitment@oakwood.surrey.sch.uk.  

I very much hope you decide to apply and look forward to receiving your application. 

Yours faithfully 

Jon Gladstone - Headteacher