Orchards Academy
66%
Capacity
545
Pupils
1.6x
Demand
About Orchards Academy
Ofsted's Parent View responses for Orchards Academy paint a mixed picture. From a survey of 61 parents between September 2024 and September 2025, 48% said they would recommend the school, while 52% would not. The school is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 169 applications for 109 places, a ratio of 1.55 applicants per place, with 94 first-preference offers made from 100 first-preference applications. On specific questions, 59% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 69% felt their child feels safe. However, only 48% agreed that concerns are dealt with properly, and just 26% agreed that SEND children receive the support they need. Behaviour is a notable concern: 48% disagreed that the school ensures pupils are well behaved, and 35% disagreed that bullying is dealt with quickly and effectively.
Academically, Orchards Academy holds a Good rating from Ofsted, confirmed in its March 2025 inspection, with Good marks across quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. Its Progress 8 score of 0.03 is rated 'Average' nationally, placing it 40th out of 106 secondary schools in Kent. This is above the Kent local authority average Progress 8 of -0.13, meaning pupils here make slightly more progress than the typical Kent student. Attainment 8 sits at 40.9, with 58.5% of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The school's EBacc average point score is 3.23, though only 0.9% of pupils entered the EBacc combination of subjects. In the Sevenoaks district, it ranks 2nd out of 3 schools on Progress 8.
The school serves a community with 44% of pupils eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Its facilities include a swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, tennis courts, playing fields, and a sixth form centre, though the school does not have a formal sixth form. Sports offered range from hockey and rugby to martial arts and dance, and clubs include art, debate, drama, Young Enterprise and gardening. SEND provision covers dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Leigh Academy Wilmington, 3.9 km away. Orchards Academy may suit families who value its oversubscribed status and above-average progress compared with the Kent average, but the Parent View data suggests parents should investigate SEND support and behaviour management closely before applying.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | St Mary's Road, Swanley, Sevenoaks, BR8 7TE |
| Headteacher | Hannah Carter |
| Local Authority | Kent |
| Number of Pupils | 545 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 44.0% |
| School Capacity | 545 / 828 (66% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
11 Mar 2025Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 28 Apr 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.03)
1446th of 3,141
Nationally
221st of 461
In South East
2nd of 3
In Sevenoaks
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2312%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 90 pupils).
- FE college53%
- School sixth form (stay)12%
- Employment11%
- Apprenticeship9%
- Not sustained8%
- Sixth form college6%
92% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Ofsted Parent View
61 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed109
169
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
100 families put this school as their 1st choice (59% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:00
Source: orchards-tkat.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British78.0%
- Mixed5.3%
- White (other)4.8%
- Asian1.4%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
7
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Orchards Academy
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
St Mary's Road, Swanley
Sevenoaks, BR8 7TE
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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