Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard, Ebbsfleet

Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard on 7 areas: 6 exceptional and 1 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Exceptional. "Achievement is excellent."

Attendance and behaviour - Exceptional. "Attendance is consistently high and exceeds pre-pandemic levels for all groups of pupils."

Curriculum and teaching - Exceptional. "The quality of the curriculum and teaching is consistently exemplary."

Inclusion - Exceptional. "Leaders' uncompromising ambition for all pupils is realised through highly effective systems that identify and dismantle barriers to learning and wellbeing at the earliest opportunity."

Leadership and governance - Exceptional. "Leaders have an unswerving moral purpose to serve the needs of the community."

Personal development and wellbeing - Exceptional. "Leaders have developed a transformative personal development programme that goes considerably beyond what is required."

Early years - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed an ambitious early years curriculum that identifies the knowledge and vocabulary that children need to be well prepared for Year 1."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should build on the established strengths in the early years to enhance the high standards of education and care for all children, including those who are disadvantaged".

In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 73% in Kent and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (88% in reading, 87% in maths).

For September 2026 entry, 132 families put Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard as their first choice and 296 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. That is 2.2 first choices for every place. 74 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard are Ebbsfleet Green Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 97% reading, 97% maths); Manor Community Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 81% reading, 76% maths); The Craylands School (0.8 miles, Good, 84% reading, 85% maths); and Springhead Park Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 69% reading, 72% maths).

Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard is one of 33 schools run by Leigh Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

15.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 34% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (42%), Black (22%) and Asian (12%).

In 2026, 38 pupils (8.5%) received SEN support and 26 (5.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 15 places, 14 pupils on roll.

Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard had 16 teachers in 2026, one for every 26 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Ebbsfleet International Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cherry Orchard (just after), 100 metres away.

In 2024/25, Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard issued 13 suspensions, 2.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Leigh Academy Cherry Orchard are Alkerden Church of England Academy (0.5 miles) and Leigh Academy Ebbsfleet (0.5 miles).