Orchards Church of England Academy

About Orchards Church of England Academy

Orchards Church of England Academy in Fenland serves a community with very high levels of disadvantage — nearly half of its pupils (49.7%) are eligible for free school meals — yet its headline Key Stage 2 results sit well below the local authority average. Just 39% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Cambridgeshire primary average of 58%. That 19-point gap is significant and places the school 175th out of 210 primaries in the county. In the Fenland district specifically, it ranks 24th out of 28 schools, putting it in the bottom 15% locally. The picture is mixed by subject: writing was a relative strength, with 70% meeting expectations, but maths was much weaker at 49%, and reading sat at 54%. Only 4% of pupils achieved the higher standard in maths, and none did so in writing.

The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, rated it Good across all areas — a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement in 2022. Inspectors judged quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all as Good. Parent feedback from the Ofsted Parent View survey (52 responses, collected between September 2024 and September 2025) is largely positive: 89% of parents said their child is happy at the school (strongly agree or agree), and 95% felt their child is safe. However, there are some areas of concern — 17% said they would not recommend the school, and 15% disagreed that the school has high expectations for their child. On SEND support, 87% of parents who responded agreed that children with special educational needs get the help they need.

Orchards is a Church of England primary for children aged 2 to 11, with a nursery on site. It has a broad range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, music rooms, gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields and a chapel. Clubs include science, gardening, coding, book club and drama, while sports on offer are cricket, netball, rounders and athletics. The school is oversubscribed for Reception places in 2025/26, with 36 applications for 34 places and 33 first-preference offers made. It has a wide SEND offer, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties, moderate to profound learning difficulties, speech and language needs, visual impairment, social and emotional needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that serves a high-poverty catchment and has made clear progress in its Ofsted rating, but its academic outcomes remain a concern for families prioritising above-average attainment.

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