The Orchard Primary School
The Orchard Primary School is an academy converter in Watford for pupils aged 3 to 11. It has 434 pupils on roll. In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 3-11 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Gammons Lane Watford Hertfordshire WD24 5JW |
| Phone | 01923672280 |
| Reference Number | 145352 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 434 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 48.39%
Girls: 51.61% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 14.6% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 56.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 28.9 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 28 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 29.6 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | 30 | 59 |
| 2 | 19 | 36 | 55 |
| 3 | 34 | 25 | 59 |
| 4 | 31 | 29 | 60 |
| 5 | 33 | 27 | 60 |
| 6 | 33 | 25 | 58 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 22.6% |
| Indian | 21.2% |
| Pakistani | 14.3% |
| White, Other | 12.9% |
| Mixed, Other | 5.8% |
| African | 5.1% |
| Asian, Other | 4.6% |
| White & Asian | 2.8% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.8% |
| Caribbean | 1.8% |
| Unclassified | 1.4% |
| Chinese | 0.2% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.2% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | |
| Last Report Date | 21 Jun 2022 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 21 Jun 2022 | School inspection |
| 06 Feb 2018 | Academy conversion letter |
| 26 Jan 2016 | Short inspection |
| Previously as The Orchard Primary School | |
| 28 Mar 2014 | Interim assessment |
| 19 May 2011 | Full inspection: |
| 30 Apr 2009 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 15 May 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 20 Oct 2003 | Full inspection |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 70% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 20% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
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 | 108 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 108 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
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 | 0.4 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | 3.1 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 4 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage 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
UnlockProgress 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.
Sample
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See how The Orchard Primary School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 47 | 9 |
| Third Preference | 41 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 The Orchard Primary School had 412 pupils for 420 places. 8 places (1.9%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Mid Watford Primary” planning area
Hertfordshire counted 294 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 302 in 2029–30, up 3%.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 420 | 420 | 420 |
| Pupils | 416 | 444 | 435 | 443 | 415 | 408 | 412 |
| Unfilled | 7.6% | 1.3% | 3.3% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 2.9% | 1.9% |
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 Orchard Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 3.0% | 2.7% | 2.0% | 4.7% | 4.4% | 3.3% | 3.3% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
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, 0.0% of pupils at The Orchard Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Orchard Primary School had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 11.6 | 11.5 | 11.4 | 11.1 | 12.6 | 12.2 | 11.7 | 10.6 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 9.1% | 13.3% | 12.3% | 15.8% | 3.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 64.0% | – | 60.7% | 69.0% | 58.3% | 52.0% | 60.9% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 3.5 | – | 3.5 | 9.1 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 1.5 | – |
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, 12.9% of pupils at The Orchard Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 24 | 3 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 12 | 9 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 6 | 2 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 7 | 0 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 3 | 0 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 2 | 0 |
| Down's syndrome | 0 | 1 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 1 | 0 |
| Physical disability | 1 | 0 |
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 Orchard Primary School received £6,271 and spent £6,430 for each of its 424 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £312,000 (£737 per pupil).
Across all 10 schools of Agora Learning Partnership, income was £7,271 and spending £7,551 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £338,000 | £382,000 | £454,000 | £516,000 | £607,000 | £312,000 |
| per pupil | £735 | £832 | £996 | £1,151 | £1,422 | £737 |
| In-year balance | -£8,000 | £26,000 | £30,000 | £149,000 | £30,000 | -£68,000 |
| per pupil | -£16 | £57 | £65 | £333 | £70 | -£160 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Beechfield School
Gammons Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 5TY |
0.39 miles |
|
Cherry Tree Primary School
Berry Avenue, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 6ST |
0.4 miles |
|
Holy Rood Catholic Primary School
Greenbank Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 4FS |
0.57 miles |
|
Kingsway Junior School
Briar Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 0JH |
0.66 miles |
|
Kingsway Infants' School
North Approach, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 0ES |
0.69 miles |
|
Nascot Wood Junior School
Nascot Wood Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 4YS |
0.7 miles |
|
Nascot Wood Infant and Nursery School
Nascot Wood Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 4YT |
0.71 miles |
|
Kingswood Nursery School
Briar Road, Watford, WD25 0DX |
0.8 miles |
|
Leavesden JMI School
High Road, Leavesden, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 7QZ |
0.82 miles |
|
Cassiobury Infant and Nursery School
Bellmount Wood Avenue, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 3PE |
0.92 miles |
|
Parkgate Junior School
Southwold Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 7DN |
0.93 miles |
|
Parkgate Infants' and Nursery School
Northfield Gardens, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 7RL |
0.93 miles |
|
Stanborough Primary School
Appletree Walk, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 0DQ |
0.95 miles |
|
Cassiobury Junior School
Bellmount Wood Avenue, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 3PD |
1.01 miles |
|
The Grove Academy
Fourth Avenue, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 9RH |
1.19 miles |
|
Knutsford Primary Academy
Balmoral Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 7ER |
1.28 miles |
|
Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery
The Brow, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 7NX |
1.29 miles |
|
St Paul's Church of England Primary School, Langleybury
Langleybury Lane, Hunton Bridge, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, WD4 8RJ |
1.36 miles |
|
Tanners Wood Junior Mixed and Infant School
Hazelwood Lane, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, WD5 0LG |
1.38 miles |
|
Lanchester Primary School
Hempstead Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 3HD |
1.38 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Stanborough Secondary School
Stanborough Park, Watford, WD25 9JT |
0.81 miles |
|
Elderwood House School
Lumos Building, Leavesden Studios, Warner Drive, Leavesden, WD25 7LP |
0.89 miles |
|
West Herts College
Watford Campus, Hempstead Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 3EZ |
1.39 miles |
|
Future Academies Watford
Horseshoe Lane, Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 7HW |
1.51 miles |
|
Garston Manor School
Horseshoe Lane, Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 7HR |
1.53 miles |
|
Breakspeare School
Gallows Hill Lane, Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, WD5 0BU |
1.58 miles |
|
Watford Grammar School for Boys
Rickmansworth Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 7JF |
1.75 miles |
|
Saint Michael's Catholic High School
High Elms Lane, Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 0SS |
1.77 miles |
|
Parmiter's School
High Elms Lane, Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 0UU |
1.88 miles |
|
Watford Grammar School for Girls
Lady's Close, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0AE |
2.05 miles |
|
Croxley Danes School
Baldwins Lane, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 3LR |
2.07 miles |
|
Westfield Academy
Tolpits Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 6NS |
2.3 miles |
|
The Purcell School
|
2.41 miles |
|
Queens' School
Aldenham Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire, WD23 2TY |
2.42 miles |
|
The Grange Academy
London Road, Bushey, WD23 3AA |
3.01 miles |
|
Falconer School
Falconer Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire, WD23 3AT |
3.01 miles |
|
Rickmansworth School
Scots Hill, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 3AQ |
3.05 miles |
|
Merchant Taylors' School
Sandy Lodge, Northwood, HA6 2HT |
3.22 miles |
|
Kings Langley School
Love Lane, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, WD4 9HN |
3.25 miles |
|
Seva Education St Albans
Hazel Road, Park Street, St Albans, AL2 2AH |
3.38 miles |
All schools in Watford · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications
The Orchard Primary School is part of Agora Learning Partnership, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:
- Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery Watford
- Bromet Primary School Watford
- Warren Dell Primary School Watford
- Oxhey Wood Primary School Watford
- Meryfield Primary School Borehamwood
- Creswick Academy Welwyn Garden City
- Waterside Academy Welwyn Garden City
- Wilbury Junior School Letchworth Garden City
- The Grange Academy Letchworth Garden City
How many pupils does The Orchard Primary School have?
The Orchard Primary School has 434 pupils on roll.
What age range does The Orchard Primary School cover?
The Orchard Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.
What are The Orchard Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is The Orchard Primary School?
The Orchard Primary School is at Gammons Lane, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 5JW.