Classpot
The Orchard Infant School

The Orchard Infant School

Elmbridge, KT8 9HTPrimary School·Ages 5-7
Goodby Ofsted

89%

Capacity

241

Pupils

2.1x

Demand

About The Orchard Infant School

The Orchard Infant School is a popular choice among local families, with 176 applications for 83 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.12. Of those applying, 71 put the school as their first preference, and all 71 received an offer. This level of demand suggests a strong reputation among parents in Elmbridge, though the school does not publish a formal parent recommendation percentage. The school is a state-funded infant school for children aged 5 to 7, with a mixed intake and no religious character. Headteacher Sally Cary leads a school of 241 pupils, slightly below its capacity of 270. Just 3.3 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the national average, which may reflect the affluent local area.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, The Orchard Infant School was rated Good overall, a change from its previous Outstanding rating in 2007. The inspection report gave behaviour and attitudes the highest mark of Outstanding, while quality of education, early years provision, personal development, and leadership and management were all rated Good. Academic outcomes are not available in the form of Key Stage 2 SATs results because the school only covers Years 1 and 2, so pupils move on before taking those tests. The local authority average for Key Stage 2 attainment in Surrey is 66 per cent, but this does not apply directly to The Orchard. The school is one of 33 Outstanding-rated primary schools in Surrey out of 298 total, and the nearest Outstanding alternative is St Alban's Catholic Primary School, 0.9 kilometres away.

The school offers a wide range of facilities for such a young age group, including an ICT suite, sports hall, sensory room, music rooms, library, and outdoor playground. Sports provision includes dance, gymnastics, netball, and rounders, while clubs extend to drama, coding, eco club, gardening, art club, and choir. The school has a dedicated SEN unit and supports pupils with specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. This makes it a strong option for families seeking a well-resourced infant school with specialist support on site. The Orchard Infant School is best suited to parents in the Elmbridge area who want a focused infant-only setting with strong behaviour standards and a broad range of enrichment activities, and who are comfortable with the school's Good rather than Outstanding Ofsted rating.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range5 to 7 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterNone
AddressBridge Road, East Molesey, Elmbridge, KT8 9HT
HeadteacherSally Cary
Local AuthoritySurrey
Number of Pupils241
Free School Meals (FSM)3.3%
School Capacity241 / 270 (89% full)

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

22 Mar 2022
View Report

Overall Effectiveness

Good

Declined
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Outstanding
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Additional Provisions

Early Years Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 18 May 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

SEND Support

SEN Unit
AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageSEN Unit

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

Facilities

8
ICT SuiteSports HallSensory RoomDining HallMusic RoomsPlaying FieldsLibraryOutdoor Playground

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

10

Sports

DanceGymnasticsNetballRounders

Clubs & Activities

DramaCodingEco ClubGardeningArt ClubChoir

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

Admissions

2025/26Oversubscribed
Places

83

Applications

176

Good Demand

Popular school with more applications than places

Applications to places ratio2.1x
0x1x2x3x5x+

71 families put this school as their 1st choice (40% of all applications)

Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:00

Breakfast club

07:30-08:15

After-school care

15:00-17:45

Source: orchard.surrey.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

Class profile

2024/25
Pupils per teacherBelow average
22.7pupils per qualified teacher

Half of schools in England do better than this.

Average class sizeBelow average
27.0pupils per class

Half of schools in England do better than this.

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

2024/25
Free school meals3.3%

Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).

English as additional language7.1%

Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.

Ethnic background

  • White British75.5%
  • White (other)7.9%
  • Mixed6.6%
  • Asian3.7%

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

2024/25
Overall attendanceTop 25% of schools
96.7%

Better than 75% of schools in England.

Persistent absenteesTop 25% of schools
4.7%

Better than 75% of schools in England.

Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.

Fixed-period suspensionsTop 25% of schools
0.0 per 100

Better than 75% of schools in England.

A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.

Permanent exclusionsLike most schools
None

Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.

Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.

Catchment & Local Competition

Loading map...
1 mile reference · no real data

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.

8

Total schools

4

Oversubscribed

7

Primary

Medium competition area

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.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About The Orchard Infant School

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

Contact Information

02089792945www.orchard.surrey.sch.uk/

Bridge Road, East Molesey

Elmbridge, KT8 9HT

Loading map...

Bridge Road, East Molesey

Elmbridge, KT8 9HT

Journey to School

Enter your postcode to see journey times to this school

Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.

Opening Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

Similar Schools Nearby

Parent Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at The Orchard Infant School!

Write a Review