Monks Orchard Primary School

Monks Orchard Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in all inspected areas. The school demonstrates strong leadership and effective management, fostering a positive learning environment where pupils feel safe and excel academically. The curriculum is structured to align with national standards and encompasses the diverse backgrounds of students. The school actively promotes resilience, independence, and enthusiasm for learning among students. This is the first inspection since the school became an academy in September 2018, highlighting its development over recent years.

Strengths

• Leaders create a positive learning environment with high expectations for all pupils.
• The curriculum is ambitious and designed to meet the needs of diverse pupils.
• Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and adapt lessons to address learning gaps.
• Comprehensive early reading programs effectively support student literacy development.
• Pupils' personal development is prioritized, encouraging positive attitudes and healthy lifestyles.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum goals in some foundation subjects lack clear sequential steps for learning.

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 Monks Orchard Primary School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.4% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Monks Orchard Primary 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 Monks Orchard Primary School had 23.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.5% 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, 14.3% of pupils at Monks Orchard Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 12.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 21 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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Monks Orchard Primary School received £8,648 and spent £8,567 for each of its 198 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £40,000 (£203 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Fairchildes Academy Community Trust, income was £8,567 and spending £8,410 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 Croydon · Croydon local authority: places and applications

Monks Orchard Primary School is part of Fairchildes Academy Community Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Rowdown Primary School Croydon
• Fairchildes Primary School Croydon

What is Monks Orchard Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Monks Orchard Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Monks Orchard Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Monks Orchard Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Monks Orchard Primary School have?

Monks Orchard Primary School has 203 pupils on roll.

What age range does Monks Orchard Primary School cover?

Monks Orchard Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Monks Orchard Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Monks Orchard Primary School?

Monks Orchard Primary School is at The Glade, Shirley, The Glade, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 7UF.