Orion Spires

Spires Academy demonstrates a good overall performance, reflecting improvements in various areas of education, behavior, and leadership since the new headteacher's appointment. The school has successfully elevated behavior expectations and established a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and respected. However, there are notable concerns regarding personal development and preparedness for future education and careers, particularly in Years 10 and 11, due to inconsistencies in the implementation of the curriculum and limited guidance in relationships and sex education.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and respected due to clear behavior expectations.
• Leadership has brought stability and a clear vision to the school.
• Improved behavior has led to a calm and orderly learning environment.
• Tailored support plans for pupils with special educational needs are effectively utilized.
• The curriculum is becoming more ambitious and logical, aiding in knowledge retention.
• Positive changes are rapidly helping pupils catch up in their learning.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in curriculum implementation affect student learning outcomes.
• Attendance rates have not yet reached desired levels, risking educational progress.
• The personal development curriculum lacks full implementation, leaving gaps in important life skills education.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Orion Spires attended 91.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 29.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 14.2% of pupils at Orion Spires were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Orion Spires had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 17.7% of pupils at Orion Spires were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Orion Spires received £9,421 and spent £9,411 for each of its 673 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £399,000 (£592 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Orion Education, income was £8,393 and spending £8,226 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Canterbury · Kent local authority: places and applications

Orion Spires is part of Orion Education, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Orion Blenheim Orpington
• Orion Coopers Chislehurst
• Orion Mead Road Chislehurst
• Orion Ravensworth London
• Orion Scotts Park Bromley
• Orion Ravensbourne Bromley
• Orion Eden Park Beckenham

What is Orion Spires's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Orion Spires is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Orion Spires last inspected by Ofsted?

Orion Spires was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Orion Spires have?

Orion Spires has 620 pupils on roll.

What age range does Orion Spires cover?

Orion Spires for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Orion Spires's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.2, and 31% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Orion Spires?

Orion Spires is at Bredlands Lane, Sturry, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 0HD.