The Orchards Primary Academy

The Orchards Primary Academy is demonstrating steady progress in maintaining the standards set in its prior inspection. Despite experiencing some turbulence in recent years, the school has effectively addressed curriculum implementation and has shown improvement in student outcomes. High expectations for behavior are evident, contributing to a positive and respectful school environment where pupils feel safe and enjoy learning. The school emphasizes providing broader opportunities for its students, particularly for the disadvantaged, and ensures that resources are in place to support their development.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit good behavior and respect for rules.
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils in early years.
• The ambitious curriculum is well taught in most subjects.
• High priority given to phonics teaching with positive outcomes.
• Pupils participate actively in a variety of extra-curricular activities.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Governance is effective with clear accountability.

Areas for Improvement

• Rigorous checks on pupils' learning are lacking in some subjects.
• Some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could due to inadequate strategies.
• Attendance issues persist among some disadvantaged pupils.

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 The Orchards Primary Academy attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 24.9% 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, 3.1% of pupils at The Orchards Primary 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 The Orchards Primary Academy had 27.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.0% 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, 26.3% of pupils at The Orchards Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.6% 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 The Orchards Primary Academy received £8,570 and spent £8,162 for each of its 191 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £382,000 (£1,999 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Greenheart Learning Partnership, income was £7,729 and spending £7,430 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 Birmingham · Birmingham local authority: places and applications

The Orchards Primary Academy is part of Greenheart Learning Partnership, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Albert Bradbeer Primary Academy Birmingham
• Fairway Primary Academy Birmingham
• Reaside Academy Birmingham
• Woodhouse Primary Academy Birmingham
• Tame Valley Academy Birmingham
• Heathlands Primary Academy Birmingham
• Edgar Stammers Primary Academy Walsall
• Featherstone Academy Wolverhampton
• Pye Green Academy Cannock

What is The Orchards Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Orchards Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was The Orchards Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Orchards Primary Academy was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does The Orchards Primary Academy have?

The Orchards Primary Academy has 190 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Orchards Primary Academy cover?

The Orchards Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are The Orchards Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Orchards Primary Academy?

The Orchards Primary Academy is at Rhayader Road, Northfield, Birmingham, West Midlands, B31 1TX.