Orchard Primary School, Pershore

Ofsted's report card from its 3 February 2026 inspection grades Orchard Primary School on 7 areas: 2 expected standard and 5 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Early years - Expected standard. "Children get off to a positive start in the early years."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school provides a broad and carefully sequenced programme for pupils' personal development."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' achievement is not secure across the school."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Pupils' attendance is too low and has remained below national averages over time."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum and strategies for teaching are implemented consistently across the school."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders do not have secure oversight of the impact of the school's work to support the needs of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders have not ensured that their actions have secured a consistent quality of education across the school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that staff have the necessary skills to reduce barriers to pupils' learning and wellbeing effectively"; "Leaders, including those responsible for governance, should ensure that the pupil premium strategy is appropriately focused on effective strategies to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in reading, writing and mathematics"; "Leaders should ensure that teaching and assessment are consistently effective and of high quality across the school so that pupils secure important foundational knowledge, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics, and achieve well"; "Leaders should ensure that attendance improves and absence reduces, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities"; "Leaders and those responsible for governance should improve their strategic oversight and effectively monitor the impact of the school's work to improve the school and ensure high standards of behaviour and the best possible outcomes and experiences for pupils".

From the headteacher's welcome: "Orchard Primary School opened on 1 September 2019, having previously been Cherry Orchard First School. We are part of Avonreach Academy Trust; a group of three thriving Primary Schools and one Secondary School within the heart of Worcestershire."

The school runs a breakfast club from 7:15am and after-school care until 4:50pm, from £4.50 per session.

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils at Orchard Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 58% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in Worcestershire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 72% in reading and 66% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 14 families put Orchard Primary School as their first choice and 26 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Orchard Primary School are Holy Redeemer Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 94% reading, 89% maths); Abbey Park Primary School (0.5 miles, Good); Pinvin CofE Academy (1.4 miles, Good, 47% reading, 40% maths); and St Barnabas CofE Primary Drakes Broughton (2 miles, Good, 80% reading, 67% maths).

Orchard Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

Orchard Primary School is one of 6 schools run by Quest Learning Trust, an academy trust.

30 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Orchard Primary School (as of April 2026): 73% would recommend the school, 77% say their child is happy there and 17% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (80%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (17%).

1.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 42 pupils (22.7%) received SEN support and 10 (5.4%) 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.

Orchard Primary School had 14 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Pershore Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cherry Orchard (adjacent), 40 metres away.

In 2024/25, Orchard Primary School issued 16 suspensions, 8.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.