Orchard Community Primary School, Derby
Orchard Community Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Derby, part of Symphony Learning Trust. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 86 schools in Derby with published results, and 582nd of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Leicestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Orchard Community Primary School in detail
Orchard Community Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "At Orchard, we have the highest of standards, and pride ourselves on the creation of a stimulating, caring and highly effective learning environment. We work hard and 'aspire for excellence' in all we do."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care, from £12.50 per day.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 27 October 2026, an open day on Wednesday 28 October 2026, an open day on Thursday 29 October 2026 and an open day on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Leicestershire
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 96% of Year 6 pupils at Orchard Community Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 77% in Leicestershire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (92% in reading, 94% in maths).
Getting a place at Orchard Community Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put Orchard Community Primary School as their first choice and 96 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 2 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Orchard Community Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Orchard Community Primary School are St Edward's Church of England Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 83% reading, 80% maths); Foxbridge Primary School (0.7 miles); Hemington Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 75% reading, 63% maths); and Diseworth Church of England Primary School (1.8 miles, Good, 33% reading, 33% maths).
Orchard Community Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
St Edward's Church of England Primary SchoolFoxbridge Primary SchoolHemington Primary SchoolDiseworth Church of England Primary School
The trust
Orchard Community Primary School is one of 20 schools run by Symphony Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
115 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Orchard Community Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 96% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (95%).
Who goes there
10.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (86%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 28 pupils (9.2%) received SEN support and 10 (3.3%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Long Eaton Rail Station, about 3.7 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bus Station (stand b), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Orchard Community Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Orchard Community Primary School issued 10 suspensions, 3.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Orchard Community Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in April 2022. Before that, as Orchard Community Primary School (URN 119982), it was rated Good in November 2021.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at creating a joyful learning environment where children are excited about their studies and achieve well. The curriculum is carefully designed to connect different subjects, helping pupils understand real-world relevance and retain what they learn. The school places equal emphasis on academic success and character development, nurturing confident, kind pupils who feel safe and valued.
Key Strengths
- Well-sequenced curriculum with strong links across subjects that help pupils retain important knowledge
- Effective mathematics teaching with a sharp focus on arithmetic proficiency from the early years
- Excellent reading provision with effective phonics teaching and high-quality books that inspire writing
- Strong character development and well-being support helping pupils build confidence and wisdom
- Calm, purposeful classrooms with positive behaviour and a welcoming ethos where all pupils feel safe and included
Areas for Improvement
- Some staff inconsistencies in supporting pupils who struggle to access teaching, meaning some pupils miss important steps in their learning
- Pupils not consistently applying core writing skills, with some presentation, spelling and grammatical accuracy needing improvement
- Need for more consistent refinement of writing precision to help pupils achieve higher standards
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with appropriate systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Netball, multi-sports, archery, school council fundraising, sports leaders programme, eco-leaders
Orchard Community Primary School is a joyful and welcoming school held in high regard by parents and carers, where pupils are motivated and achieve well through a curriculum that combines academic rigour with fun and enjoyment.
At a Glance
10.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
115 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 92% to 96% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 88% to 84% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.5
Avg class size
24.6
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
11
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Orchard Community Primary School
From Orchard Community Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Orchard Community Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Orchard Community Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Orchard Community Primary School is in Leicestershire; for families living there:
- Leicestershire's school travel policy: Mainstream School Transport for 5 to 16 year olds
- How to apply: Request for school transport on medical grounds form PDF, 359.48 KB Opens new window
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Orchard Community Primary School
Will you get a place at Orchard Community Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Orchard Community Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Orchard Community Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Orchard Community Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Leicestershire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Orchard Community Primary School for 2023 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Leicestershire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
317 pupils
315 places
2 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Derby
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Derby
Across Leicestershire council
Places available
8,574
Applications
6,827
Got 1st preference
94.0%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Leicestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
12.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
303
Total Pupils
161
Boys
142
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
15.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,640
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£1714k
Total funding
£45k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
6.8%
Persistent absence
278
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Orchard Community Primary School
Questions parents ask about Orchard Community Primary School
What are SATs results like at Orchard Community Primary School?
Of the pupils at Orchard Community Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 96% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is Orchard Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Orchard Community Primary School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in April 2022. Before that, as Orchard Community Primary School (URN 119982), it was rated Good in November 2021.
What is the catchment area for Orchard Community Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Orchard Community Primary School is oversubscribed, Leicestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Orchard Community Primary School?
Orchard Community Primary School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Orchard Community Primary School?
Classes at Orchard Community Primary School average 27.5 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Orchard Community Primary School?
Orchard Community Primary School has around 303 pupils on roll. 10% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Orchard Community Primary School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Orchard Community Primary School in 2024/25. 6.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Orchard Community Primary School?
Apply through Leicestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Orchard Community Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Orchard Community Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 7 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Leicestershire is 3 (the median across 329 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Orchard Community Primary School?
Orchard Community Primary School is at Grange Drive, Castle Donington, Derby, Derbyshire, DE74 2QU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)