Classpot

Orchard School Bristol

Bristol, City of, BS7 0XZSecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
Mar 2025
Progress 8
-0.31
Below average
−20+2
Competition
0.7×
Not oversubscribed
127 1st-choice / 177 places
Ranking
#2,268
of 3,141 nationally

About Orchard School Bristol

Orchard School Bristol is a mixed 11-16 secondary in the city, and its intake tells a story of a school serving a community with significant need. With 947 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,080, it is not full, but the admissions data for 2025/26 shows it is oversubscribed: 320 applications for 177 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.81. A total of 127 first-preference applications were received, all of which were offered. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 43.6%, which is well above the national average for secondary schools (around 27-28%) and signals a high level of socio-economic disadvantage in the local area. This context is important for understanding the school's results and the challenges it navigates day-to-day. The school has no religious character and is led by headteacher Melanie Sweet.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterNone
AddressFilton Road, Bristol, Bristol, City of, BS7 0XZ
HeadteacherMelanie Sweet
Local AuthorityBristol, City of
Number of Pupils947
Free School Meals (FSM)43.6%
School Capacity947 / 1,080 (88% full)

The full report on this school

What 85 parents told Ofsted, the inspection in plain English, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

19 Mar 2025
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Latest monitoring visit (19 Mar 2025): Standards maintained

Source: Ofsted, 17 Nov 2015. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

12
Swimming PoolArt StudiosSports HallSixth Form CentreMusic RoomsGymnasiumAstro TurfLibraryDining HallICT SuiteScience LabsTheatre

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

15

Sports

SwimmingRugbyAthleticsFootballCross CountryRounders

Clubs & Activities

Art ClubYoung EnterpriseDramaGardeningDebateChoirScience ClubModel United NationsCoding

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultyOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:30 – 15:00

Source: orchardschoolbristol.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About Orchard School Bristol

Orchard School Bristol has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.