Orchard Academy, Milton Keynes

Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades Orchard Academy on 6 areas: 5 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils arrive punctually."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a broad, ambitious and fully sequenced curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that staff identify pupils' needs accurately."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear vision for the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils benefit from a well-taught personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum that includes relationships education."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Historically, pupils have not achieved as well as they should in national tests."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure their chosen approach to handwriting is consistently applied across all subjects and year groups"; "Leaders should continue to develop effective assessment systems so that staff identify gaps in knowledge effectively".

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Orchard Academy, a proud founder member of the East Midlands Academy Trust. At Orchard, I am proud to say with certainty that you will find a positive, family atmosphere in which we develop friendly, welcoming, confident and independent young people."

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care, from £3.00 per session.

Coming up: an open day on Thursday 12 November 2026 and an open day on Friday 18 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils at Orchard Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 60% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 78% in Milton Keynes and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 59% in reading and 53% in maths in 2024.

Across Milton Keynes, 95% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.

In 2026, families in Milton Keynes lodged 92 appeals against primary school offers; 80 reached a hearing and 24 succeeded (30% of those heard).

The nearest other state primary schools to Orchard Academy are The Willows School and Early Years Centre (0.2 miles, Good); Shepherdswell Academy (0.2 miles, Good); Falconhurst School (0.5 miles, Good, 91% reading, 71% maths); and Jubilee Wood Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 77% reading, 72% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Orchard Academy.

Orchard Academy is one of 12 schools run by East Midlands Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

45.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 51.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (27%), White British (25%) and Asian (16%).

Orchard Academy has a resourced provision for visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, speech, language and communication needs and autism: 20 places, 21 pupils on roll.

Orchard Academy had 21 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Milton Keynes Central Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Springfield Boulevard (eastbound), 60 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 464 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Milton Keynes (156), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Orchard Academy issued 31 suspensions, 9.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Orchard Academy are The Milton Keynes Academy (1 mile), St Paul's Catholic School (1.2 miles), Oakgrove School (1.2 miles) and Kents Hill Park all-through school (1.5 miles).