Orchard School Bristol

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.

Academically, Orchard's outcomes are below average compared with other schools nationally and within Bristol. Its Progress 8 score of -0.31 is classified as 'Below average', and it ranks 16th out of 20 schools in the Bristol local authority on this measure, placing it in the bottom 50% nationally. The Attainment 8 score is 39.6, and the basics measure (grade 5 or above in English and maths) is achieved by 34.1% of pupils, compared with 52.7% achieving grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.63, with 68.9% of pupils entered for the EBacc combination of subjects. Progress in English is close to the national average at -0.08, but progress in maths is weaker at -0.17, and open subjects show a more significant negative score of -0.57. The local authority average Progress 8 is 0, so Orchard sits below that benchmark.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025 judged it as 'Good' overall, with leadership and management also rated 'Good', and the ungraded inspection confirmed that standards are being maintained. This is a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2015, when it was rated 'Requires improvement'. Facilities are strong for a state school, including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, science labs, and dedicated art and music spaces. The school offers a wide range of clubs, from coding and Model UN to gardening and Young Enterprise. SEND provision covers nine categories, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. Parent View responses from 85 respondents show 88% would recommend the school, with particularly strong positive feedback on clubs and activities (94% agree or strongly agree) and the range of subjects (94% agree or strongly agree). However, SEND support is a more mixed picture, with 60% of parents agreeing that the school gives SEND children the support they need, and 37% disagreeing. This school will suit families looking for a well-resourced, improving secondary in an urban setting that is actively oversubscribed, but who are realistic about its academic position relative to higher-performing peers in the city.

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