Orchard Vale Community School

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.

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

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 Orchard Vale Community School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.6% of pupils at Orchard Vale Community School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Orchard Vale Community School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 15.8% of pupils at Orchard Vale Community School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Orchard Vale Community School received £7,335 and spent £6,958 for each of its 311 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £195,000 (£628 per pupil).

Across all 35 schools of The Harbour Schools Partnership, income was £6,261 and spending £6,333 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 Barnstaple · Devon local authority: places and applications

Orchard Vale Community School is part of The Harbour Schools Partnership, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Eden Park Academy Barnstaple
• Newport Community School Primary Academy Barnstaple
• Landkey Community Primary Academy Barnstaple
• Ashleigh CofE Primary School Barnstaple
• The Park Community School Barnstaple
• Pilton Community College Barnstaple
• Sticklepath Community Primary Academy Barnstaple
• Holywell Church of England School Barnstaple
• Shirwell Community Primary School Barnstaple
• Roundswell Community Primary Academy Barnstaple

What is Orchard Vale Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Orchard Vale Community School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Orchard Vale Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Orchard Vale Community School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Orchard Vale Community School have?

Orchard Vale Community School has 311 pupils on roll.

What age range does Orchard Vale Community School cover?

Orchard Vale Community School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Orchard Vale Community School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Orchard Vale Community School?

Orchard Vale Community School is at Westacott Road, Whiddon Valley, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32 8QY.