Orchard Vale Community School

Type Primary / Academy converter
Age Range 3-11
Religion Does not apply
Address Westacott Road
Whiddon Valley
Barnstaple
Devon
EX32 8QY
Phone 01271375074
Reference Number 137644

Orchard Vale Community School is performing well, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspection categories. The school is described as a caring and inclusive environment where pupils feel safe and supported. Strong leadership and a well-designed curriculum contribute to pupils’ positive attitudes towards learning, with high expectations set by teachers. The school promotes a sense of community and responsibility among pupils, who engage enthusiastically in various extracurricular activities and demonstrate good behavior and respect towards each other. However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in reading and understanding cultural diversity. Some pupils struggle with reading fluency due to mismatched book levels, and there is a noted lack of knowledge concerning different cultures and religions. Addressing these issues will help ensure that students are fully prepared for life in modern Britain and can enjoy reading with confidence.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 323
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 48.3%
Girls: 51.7%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 24.8%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 2.8%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 25.6
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 25.5
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 28.8

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 18 24 42
2 24 25 49
3 20 20 40
4 23 24 47
5 23 16 39
6 19 28 47

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 93.2%
African 2.2%
White, Other 1.2%
White & Asian 1.2%
White & Black (Caribbean) 0.9%
Unclassified 0.6%
White & Black (African) 0.6%

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
 >  Quality of education Good
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Good
  >  Personal Development Good
  >  Leadership & Management Good
  >  Early Years Provision Good
Last Report Date 10 May 2023
Date Report
10 May 2023 School inspection:
30 Mar 2017 Short inspection
14 Feb 2012 Academy conversion letter
02 Nov 2011 Full inspection:
30 Jun 2010 Interim assessment
Previously as Orchard Vale Community School
30 Jun 2010 Interim assessment
14 Mar 2007 Full inspection:
14 Mar 2007 Full inspection:
26 Mar 2001 Full inspection
26 Mar 2001 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Caring and inclusive school environment
  • High expectations from leaders and teachers
  • Well-designed and sequential curriculum
  • Effective support for pupils with special educational needs
  • Positive behavior and attitudes among pupils
  • Strong sense of community and responsibility
  • Range of extracurricular activities and clubs

Areas for Improvement

  • Reading materials not always matched to pupils' abilities
  • Lack of secure knowledge about different cultures and religions

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 51%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 2%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 104
Maths 103

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading -1.2
Writing -1.9
Maths -1.3

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Sample

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 10 1
Third Preference 3 0
From another Local Authority 0 0

Previous Years

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Name Distance
Eden Park Academy
Eden Park Academy, Forches Avenue, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 8EF
0.7 miles
Newport Community School Primary Academy
Landkey Road, Newport, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 9BW
0.94 miles
Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Barnstaple
Chanters Hill, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 8DN
1.11 miles
Landkey Community Primary Academy
Bakery Way, Landkey, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 0LJ
1.22 miles
Goodleigh Church of England Primary School
Goodleigh, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 7LU
1.22 miles
Ashleigh CofE Primary School
Bevan Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 8LJ
1.25 miles
Yeo Valley Primary School
Derby Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 7HB
1.39 miles
Pilton Infants' Academy
Abbey Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1JU
1.83 miles
Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Academy
Abbey Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1JU
1.9 miles
Bishops Tawton Primary School
School Lane, Bishops Tawton, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 0AE
1.91 miles
Sticklepath Community Primary Academy
Woodville Estate, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 2HH
2.57 miles
Holywell Church of England School
Tawstock, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 3HZ
2.69 miles
Swimbridge Church of England Primary School
Barnstaple Hill, Swimbridge, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 0PJ
2.72 miles
Shirwell Community Primary School
School Lane, Shirwell, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 4JT
2.76 miles
Roundswell Community Primary Academy
Roundswell School, Claypits Road, Roundswell, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 3WJ
3.22 miles
Marwood School
Whiddon, Muddiford, Milltown, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 4HF
4.19 miles
Fremington Primary School
Beechfield Road, Fremington, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 3DD
4.56 miles
Bratton Fleming Community Primary School
Station Road, Bratton Fleming, Station Road, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 4SB
4.82 miles
Name Distance
On Track Education Barnstaple
Narita House, Fishleigh Rd, Roundswell Business Park, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 3UD
0.43 miles
The Lampard Community School
St John's Lane, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 9DD
0.83 miles
The Park Community School
Park Lane, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 9AX
1.28 miles
Pathfield School
Abbey Road, Pilton, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1JU
1.94 miles
Pilton Community College
Chaddiford Lane, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1RB
2.12 miles
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