Orchard Mead Academy

Orchard Mead Academy is a large, diverse secondary academy within The Mead Educational Trust, serving a community with above-average disadvantage. Inspectors found an inclusive, caring school where pupils feel safe and well supported, behaviour is generally calm and orderly, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Leadership has a clear vision, pastoral support is strong, and provision for pupils with SEND and those with high needs is a notable strength, including careful use of alternative provision and improving attendance for some groups. Most areas are working at the expected standard. The curriculum is broad and coherent, teaching has consistent routines, and professional development is a strength. However, practice is not yet consistently strong across all classrooms. In some lessons, checks on understanding are not precise enough or tasks are over-supported, limiting independence and deeper learning. Achievement is the main area needing attention: outcomes in English and mathematics remain below national averages, Progress 8 and Attainment 8 are low, some pupils have gaps or incomplete work, and disadvantaged pupils still perform unevenly. Attendance has improved but remains below national averages and persistent absence is too high. Pupils' understanding of religious education and fundamental British values is not consistently secure, and participation in wider opportunities varies. Leaders have correctly identified the right priorities and are taking appropriate action, but improvement is not yet embedded consistently or at sufficient pace. The next steps focus on making teaching consistently effective, accelerating achievement, improving attendance, strengthening personal development, and sharpening quality assurance.

Strengths

• Inclusion provision is a strong feature, with early and effective identification of pupil needs.
• Systems for assessing need are detailed and well embedded, using a graduated approach.
• Support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils is tailored and improving outcomes.
• Additional funding is aligned with whole-school priorities such as attendance, literacy and engagement.
• Provision for pupils with high needs and EHC plans is particularly effective.
• Alternative provision is commissioned carefully, monitored closely and used in pupils' best interests.
• Pastoral support is a strength, with a trauma-informed approach and strengthened capacity.
• The school is calm and orderly, with clear routines and positive staff-pupil relationships.
• Suspensions and exclusions have reduced due to targeted and supportive interventions.
• The curriculum is broad, coherent and clearly sequenced, with strengthened subject leadership.
• Professional development is a key strength and staff feel supported in a collaborative culture.
• Personal development includes a broad programme covering mental health, relationships and online safety.
• Careers education is valued and effective in helping pupils make informed decisions.
• Pupils feel safe, valued and a strong sense of belonging in a diverse community.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement needs attention, with overall results in English and mathematics below national averages.
• Progress 8 and Attainment 8 remain below national averages.
• Teaching quality is inconsistent across subjects and classes.
• Checking for understanding is not always precise, so misconceptions are not addressed promptly.
• In some lessons, tasks are overly supported, limiting independent thinking and deeper learning.
• Pupils' work quality and completeness vary, with gaps or incomplete tasks limiting progress.
• A significant minority of pupils still underachieve.
• Overall attendance remains below national averages and persistent absence is too high.
• Pupils' attitudes to learning vary, with passive engagement and limited independence in some lessons.
• Staff are inconsistent in promoting pupils' active participation in learning.
• Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils remain uneven.
• Pupils' understanding of fundamental British values and religious education is not consistently secure.
• Participation in extra-curricular opportunities is not universal.
• Destinations after 16 are below national averages.
• Leaders' evaluation and quality assurance are not yet sharp enough to secure consistent improvement at pace.

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 Mead Academy attended 88.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 34.0% 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, 19.5% of pupils at Orchard Mead Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Mead Academy had 17.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.5% 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, 13.3% of pupils at Orchard Mead Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 10 pupils.

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 Orchard Mead Academy received £9,434 and spent £8,437 for each of its 1,048 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £991,000 (£946 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of The Mead Educational Trust, income was £8,481 and spending £7,789 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 Leicester · Leicester local authority: places and applications

Orchard Mead Academy is part of The Mead Educational Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

• Netherhall Mead Academy Leicester
• Kestrel Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Thurnby Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Willowbrook Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Rowlatts Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Oaklands Mead Academy Leicester
• North Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Rushey Mead Academy Leicester
• Abbey Mead Primary Academy Leicester
• Castle Mead Academy Leicester

What is Orchard Mead Academy's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Orchard Mead Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Orchard Mead Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Orchard Mead Academy have?

Orchard Mead Academy has 1,007 pupils on roll.

What age range does Orchard Mead Academy cover?

Orchard Mead Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Orchard Mead Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.4, and 34% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Orchard Mead Academy?

Orchard Mead Academy is at Keyham Lane West, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 1RT.