Ofsted: Requires improvement trending_up Places Available emoji_events #130 in Cambridgeshire public Top 83% UK

Orchards Church of England Academy

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMrs Sarah Cullen

corporate_fareTHE DIOCESE OF ELY MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST

location_onWisbech, PE13 3NP

language Visit Website phone 1945583799

verified

Ofsted

Requires improvement

Inspected 2024

groups

Students

418

school

Expected Standard

49%

local_fire_department

Demand Ratio

1.0x

summarize

Orchards Church of England Academy is a Academy sponsor led primary school in Wisbech, serving ages 2-11. Currently Requires Improvement according to Ofsted — the school is working to raise standards. Ranks in the top 83% of primary schools nationally.

article

School Summary

Orchards Church of England Academy is an academy sponsor led in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, admitting pupils aged 2-11. It is part of THE DIOCESE OF ELY MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST. The school has approximately 401 pupils on roll, of whom 54% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, 49% of pupils met the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths combined. The school ranks #130 of 195 primaries in Cambridgeshire and #10,259 of 14,143 nationally.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2024. The school's current overall rating is Requires improvement. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Good, behaviour and attitudes Good, personal development Good, and leadership and management Good.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 1.0× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 21.6:1. There is 1 teaching vacancy.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 2 permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 19.6 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

school

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

2025

R/W/M Expected Standard

49%

LA 57%

Reading59% LA 73%

Writing58% LA 66%

Maths59% LA 71%

Read SS

101

Maths SS

102

GPS SS

101

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2024

R/W/M Expected Standard

39%

LA 56%England 61%

Reading54% LA 73% · Eng 74%

Writing70% LA 66% · Eng 72%

Maths49% LA 70% · Eng 73%

Read SS

101

Maths SS

GPS SS

100

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

Write

Maths

2023

R/W/M Expected Standard

26%

LA 57%England 60%

Reading36% LA 72% · Eng 73%

Writing41% LA 66% · Eng 71%

Maths41% LA 70% · Eng 73%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

-4.1

Read

LA 0.5

-5.6 to -2.5

-3.3

Write

LA -0.7

-4.8 to -1.8

-2.9

Maths

LA -0.2

-4.4 to -1.4

2019

R/W/M Expected Standard

14%

LA 61%England 65%

Reading28% LA 71% · Eng 73%

Writing24% LA 73% · Eng 78%

Maths41% LA 75% · Eng 79%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

-3.1

Read

LA 0.2

-4.7 to -1.4

-3.8

Write

LA -1.0

-5.4 to -2.3

-2.0

Maths

LA -0.4

-3.5 to -0.6

2018

R/W/M Expected Standard

LA 61%

Reading-% LA 75%

Writing-% LA 75%

Maths-% LA 72%

Read SS

Maths SS

GPS SS

Progress (0 = national avg)

Read

LA 0.2

Write

LA -0.9

Maths

LA -0.6

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

19 November 2024

Inspection Report

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05 July 2022

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

4 Evaluations

2024-11-19

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2022-07-05

Academy First Section 5 EIF

Requires improvement

Education

Requires improvement

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

2015-05-19

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

2013-06-19

None EIF

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

20.0%per term

warning Above Average

National average: 0.8% for this term (primary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

6.7%(27 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

1pupils

gavel Exclusion recorded

National average: 1.225% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 401 pupils. During this period, there were 80 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 20.0%, which is above the termly national average of 0.8%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	401	80	20.0%	0.8%	1
2024/25 (Autumn term)	401	77	19.2%	0.9%	1
2023/24 (Summer term)	425	51	12.0%	0.8%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	400	48	12.0%	0.7%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	388	46	11.9%	0.8%	1
2022/23 (Summer term)	418	41	9.8%	0.7%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	418	46	11.0%	0.6%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	410	21	5.1%	0.6%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	417	33	7.9%	0.5%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	403	7	1.7%	0.5%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	390	28	7.2%	0.5%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	419	3	0.7%	0.4%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	415	0	0.0%	0.1%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	410	1	0.2%	0.4%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	437	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	437	2	0.5%	0.4%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	436	2	0.5%	0.6%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	477	11	2.3%	0.4%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	486	1	0.2%	0.5%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	479	9	1.9%	0.5%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	488	11	2.3%	0.5%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	0	8	-	0.4%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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psychology_alt

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Speech, Language & Communication 67 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 14 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 14 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 9 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 4 pupils

Severe Learning Difficulty 1 pupils

Profound & Multiple Learning 1 pupils

Visual Impairment 1 pupils

health_and_safety

Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

89.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

95.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

40.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree46%

agree37%

disagree13%

strongly disagree4%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree56%

agree40%

disagree4%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree40%

agree19%

disagree12%

strongly disagree6%

not applicable23%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes31%

no69%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree31%

agree56%

disagree6%

strongly disagree6%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree46%

agree35%

disagree15%

don't know4%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree67%

agree21%

disagree12%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree62%

agree29%

disagree8%

strongly disagree2%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree62%

agree31%

disagree4%

strongly disagree2%

don't know2%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree54%

agree31%

disagree6%

strongly disagree4%

don't know6%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree50%

agree35%

disagree10%

strongly disagree6%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes83%

no17%

Top Primary Schools in Cambridgeshire

Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

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Histon and Impington Brook Primary School

Outstanding

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emoji_events #1 in LA

Histon and Impington Park Primary School

Outstanding

location_on Cambridge, CB24 9AQ

emoji_events #2 in LA

Ridgefield Primary School

Good

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emoji_events #3 in LA

Kings Hedges Primary School

Good

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emoji_events #4 in LA

Wisbech St Mary CofE Academy

Good

location_on Wisbech, PE13 4RJ

emoji_events #5 in LA

Ermine Street Church Academy

Good

location_on Alconbury Weald, PE28 4XG

emoji_events #6 in LA

View all schools in Cambridgeshire arrow_forward

School Summary

Academic Performance

Primary Performance Trends (KS2)

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Faith Priority (Church of England)

Distance to School

School Capacity

Primary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Primary Schools in Cambridgeshire

Histon and Impington Brook Primary School

Histon and Impington Park Primary School

Ridgefield Primary School

Kings Hedges Primary School

Wisbech St Mary CofE Academy

Ermine Street Church Academy