Orchard Academy

Orchard Academy is a diverse and inclusive school where pupils feel safe and happy. Inspectors found strong relationships, generally good behaviour, positive attitudes to learning and an effective safeguarding culture. The school meets expected standards in attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, personal development, and leadership and governance. Leaders have a clear vision, are well supported by the East Midlands Academy Trust, and have improved teaching, especially in reading and mathematics. The school has a resourced provision and serves a community with high levels of disadvantage and a well-above-average proportion of pupils with EHC plans; staff support these pupils well through tailored teaching, strong pastoral work and close family engagement. However, achievement is the main area needing attention. Historic national test outcomes have been below national averages, and although current pupils now learn more effectively and assessment is improving, published results do not yet reflect the impact of leaders’ work. Disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes have also lagged behind national figures in several areas. Handwriting is a specific weakness: expectations and approaches are not consistently applied across subjects and year groups, and staff do not always address misconceptions quickly enough. Leaders should continue strengthening assessment systems so gaps in knowledge are identified and addressed consistently.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, happy and confident to be themselves.
• Staff and pupils have positive, respectful relationships and a strong sense of community.
• The school is inclusive and embraces diversity, faiths and cultures.
• Safeguarding standards are met within an open and positive culture.
• Leaders have high expectations for attendance and effective systems to track and improve it.
• Pupils generally behave well because routines, boundaries and consequences are clear.
• Leaders have designed a broad, ambitious and fully sequenced curriculum.
• Teaching is typically effective and improving, particularly in reading and mathematics.
• Pupils with SEND, including those in the resourced provision, receive well-tailored support.
• Staff identify pupils’ needs accurately and adapt lessons so pupils access the full curriculum.
• Personal development is well taught, including PSHE, relationships education and RE.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips, residential visits and leadership roles.
• Pastoral support is effective and leaders engage closely with families and external services.
• Leadership and governance are strategic, ambitious and well supported by the trust.
• Staff training is relevant, research-informed and supported by trust collaboration.
• Pupil premium funding is used strategically to widen access and opportunity.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement has historically been below national averages in national tests.
• Published outcomes do not yet reflect recent improvements in teaching and learning.
• Handwriting is not consistently taught or addressed across subjects and year groups.
• Staff do not always address misconceptions, such as in handwriting, quickly enough.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ attainment has lagged behind national averages in reading and mathematics.
• There remains a disadvantage gap, though it is narrowing in some areas.
• Assessment systems are improving but need further development to identify gaps consistently.
• Not all pupils achieve as well as they should across the curriculum because past expectations were not high enough.
• It is too early to see the impact of new assessment systems on pupils’ achievement.

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 Academy attended 95.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.4% 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, 3.9% of pupils at Orchard Academy 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 Academy had 14.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 56.6% 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, 12.6% of pupils at Orchard Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 1 pupil.

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 Academy received £7,845 and spent £7,751 for each of its 335 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £218,000 (£650 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of East Midlands Academy Trust, income was £7,645 and spending £7,616 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 Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications

Orchard Academy is part of East Midlands Academy Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Shepherdswell Academy Milton Keynes
• Hardingstone Academy Northampton
• Stimpson Avenue Academy Northampton
• Castle Academy Northampton
• Northampton International Academy Northampton
• Culworth Church of England Primary Academy Banbury
• Chacombe CEVA Primary Academy Banbury
• Boddington Church of England Primary Academy Daventry
• Naseby Church of England Primary Academy Northampton
• Wilbarston Church of England Primary School Market Harborough

What is Orchard Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Orchard Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Orchard Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Orchard Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Orchard Academy have?

Orchard Academy has 294 pupils on roll.

What age range does Orchard Academy cover?

Orchard Academy for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Orchard Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 52% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Orchard Academy?

Orchard Academy is at Springfield Boulevard, Springfield, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 3HW.