Orchard School Bristol, Bristol
Orchard School Bristol is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Bristol, part of Amplify Education. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 35th-highest of the 44 schools in Bristol with published results, and 2,420th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Bristol, City of (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Orchard School Bristol in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Orchard School Bristol averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46 in Bristol, City of; and 47 across England.
36% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Bristol, City of; and 47% in England.
That is down from 44.7 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.31: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 29.8, against 49.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 19.5 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Orchard School Bristol
For September 2026 entry, 121 families put Orchard School Bristol as their first choice and 307 named it as one of their preferences, for 175 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Orchard School Bristol
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Orchard School Bristol are Trinity Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.4); Bristol Free School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 59.3); Abbeywood Community School (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.8); and Fairfield High School (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.3).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Orchard School Bristol.
Trinity AcademyBristol Free SchoolAbbeywood Community SchoolFairfield High School
The trust
Orchard School Bristol is one of 21 schools run by Amplify Education, an academy trust.
What parents say
85 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Orchard School Bristol (as of September 2025): 88% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 84% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (91%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (79%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 167 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 53% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
43.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 33.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (49%), Black (15%) and Mixed (12%).
In 2026, 237 pupils (25.2%) received SEN support and 34 (3.6%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Filton Abbey Wood Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Filton Road (n-bound), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Orchard School Bristol stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Orchard School Bristol issued 430 suspensions, 45.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Orchard School Bristol are Upper Horfield Primary School (0.2 miles), St Teresa's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles), Charborough Road Primary School (0.5 miles) and Shield Road Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Upper Horfield Primary SchoolSt Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolCharborough Road Primary SchoolShield Road Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; 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
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Orchard School creates a welcoming, inclusive environment where pupils thrive personally and develop strong values around respect and celebrating differences. The school offers excellent enrichment opportunities beyond the classroom and provides outstanding guidance to help pupils make informed decisions about their future careers and education. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and adapt learning well to support pupils with diverse needs.
Key Strengths
- Strong personal development with extensive extracurricular clubs including cheerleading, board games, and badminton
- Calm, orderly lessons and positive behavior supported by high expectations
- Well-adapted curriculum that builds on pupils' existing knowledge, including successful reading and numeracy programs
- Strong careers advice and work experience opportunities preparing pupils for their future
- Effective safeguarding with pupils confident to share concerns with trusted adults
Areas for Improvement
- Low attendance among some pupils, especially those with SEND, which impacts their learning
- Teaching does not consistently encourage pupils to discuss subject content, limiting depth of understanding
- Need to further strengthen strategies to support pupils with SEND attendance and close learning gaps
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils confident that staff will take appropriate action when they share concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Cheerleading, board games, badminton, trips, residential visits, tutor representative roles, prefect positions, school ambassador roles
Orchard School Bristol is an inclusive secondary school where pupils are happy and safe. The school has maintained good standards and strengthened its curriculum, though recent exam outcomes have been disappointing.
About
Orchard School Bristol is a secondary school with academy status, located in Horfield in Bristol, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
43.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
85 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.31 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 39.8 to 41.5 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 30% to 36% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 41.5 | 36.3% |
| Disadvantaged(67) | - | 29.8 | 17.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(101) | - | 49.3 | 48.5% |
| Boys(91) | - | 39.5 | 31.9% |
| Girls(77) | - | 44.0 | 41.6% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(36) | - | 51.0 | 41.7% |
| Non mobile(160) | - | 41.4 | 36.9% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 167 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.21%
Exclusion rate
430
Suspensions
45.41%
Suspension rate
129 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 947 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Orchard School Bristol
Term dates
Orchard School Bristol is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Bristol, City of's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Orchard School Bristol from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Orchard School Bristol is in Bristol, City of; for families living there:
- Bristol, City of's school travel policy: Home to school travel policy
- How to apply: Apply online for home school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 51
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 51 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 41 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
12 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 Bristol, City of is 27 (the median across 175 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 School Bristol
Will you get a place at Orchard School Bristol? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Orchard School Bristol's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Orchard School Bristol:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Orchard School Bristol.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Bristol, City of, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Orchard School Bristol for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Bristol, City of 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
103%
Over capacity
956 pupils
925 places
31 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bristol
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bristol
Across Bristol, City of council
Places available
4,580
Applications
4,426
Got 1st preference
84.0%
Got preferred school
96.7%
All secondary applications across Bristol, City of council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
237
SEN Support
34
EHC Plans
28.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
942
Total Pupils
522
Boys
420
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
63
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,442
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,637
Per pupil
£8778k
Total funding
£443k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.4%
Overall absence
26.7%
Persistent absence
991
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Orchard School Bristol
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Orchard School Bristol
What are GCSE results like at Orchard School Bristol?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Orchard School Bristol achieved an Attainment 8 score of 41.5. 36% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Orchard School Bristol's Ofsted rating?
Orchard School Bristol's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Orchard School Bristol?
No fixed boundary. When Orchard School Bristol is oversubscribed, Bristol, City of allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Orchard School Bristol?
Orchard School Bristol was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Orchard School Bristol?
Classes at Orchard School Bristol average 27.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Orchard School Bristol?
Orchard School Bristol has around 942 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Orchard School Bristol?
10.4% of sessions were missed at Orchard School Bristol in 2024/25. 26.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Orchard School Bristol?
Apply through Bristol, City of's coordinated admissions process, naming Orchard School Bristol on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Orchard School Bristol?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 51 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 41 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 12 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 Bristol, City of is 27 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Orchard School Bristol?
Orchard School Bristol is at Filton Road, Horfield, Bristol, Bristol, BS7 0XZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)