Orchards Church of England Academy, Wisbech
Orchards Church of England Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Wisbech, part of Grace Schools. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 19th-highest of the 24 schools in Wisbech with published results, and 13,056th of 14,452 across England. It was 56% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cambridgeshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Orchards Church of England Academy in detail
Orchards Church of England Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to The Orchards C of E Academy, a vibrant and inclusive school at the heart of our community. We are proud to be a diverse school where every child and family is warmly welcomed, valued, and respected."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils at Orchards Church of England Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in Cambridgeshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 54% in reading and 49% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Orchards Church of England Academy
For September 2026 entry, 47 families put Orchards Church of England Academy as their first choice and 58 named it as one of their preferences, for 47 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Orchards Church of England Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Orchards Church of England Academy are Clarkson Infants School (0.6 miles, Good); St Peter's CofE Aided Junior School (0.7 miles, Good, 68% reading, 64% maths); Peckover Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 74% reading, 68% maths); and The Nene Infant & Nursery School (1 mile, Good).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Orchards Church of England Academy.
Clarkson Infants SchoolSt Peter's CofE Aided Junior SchoolPeckover Primary SchoolThe Nene Infant & Nursery School
The trust
Orchards Church of England Academy is one of 38 schools run by Grace Schools, an academy trust.
What parents say
52 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Orchards Church of England Academy (as of September 2025): 83% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 78% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (78%).
Who goes there
46.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 46.1% 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%), Mixed (10%) and Black (7%).
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Orchards Church of England Academy.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cherry Road (near), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Orchards Church of England Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 224 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Cambridgeshire (57), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Orchards Church of England Academy issued 205 suspensions, 51.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Orchards Church of England Academy are Thomas Clarkson Academy (1.6 miles), Marshland High School (1.6 miles) and The Wisbech Academy (1.6 miles).
Thomas Clarkson AcademyMarshland High SchoolThe Wisbech Academy
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 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a happy, welcoming school where children thrive. The school has significantly improved its teaching across the curriculum and now provides tailored support for all learners, including those with additional needs. Pupils benefit from a broad range of activities and outdoor learning opportunities, helping them develop both academically and socially.
Key Strengths
- Effective curriculum improvements with clear progression from early years through the school
- Strong support for pupils with SEND and those learning English as an additional language
- Well-trained staff teaching phonics, with matched reading books and quick additional support
- Calm, orderly school environment with well-established routines and high expectations
- Thoughtful personal development programme focusing on diversity, equality and community contribution
Areas for Improvement
- Some early readers and writers do not get enough independent practice opportunities before moving to more complex tasks
- Published outcomes have not yet reflected the improvements made to curriculum and teaching quality
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a culture where pupils know staff are there to help and support them.
Extracurricular Activities
Choir, sporting activities, outdoor learning sessions, range of clubs
Orchards Church of England Academy is a welcoming primary school where pupils enjoy learning and form positive relationships with staff and each other. The school has made significant improvements to its curriculum, though published test results have not yet fully caught up with the quality of education now being delivered.
At a Glance
46.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
52 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 54% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 49% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 70% to 58% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.9
Avg class size
19.1
Infant (KS1)
24.4
KS2
15
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Orchards Church of England Academy
Before and after school care
Orchards Church of England Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Cambridgeshire
Term dates
Orchards Church of England Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Cambridgeshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Orchards Church of England Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Orchards Church of England Academy is in Cambridgeshire; for families living there:
- Cambridgeshire's school travel policy: School Travel Assistance Policy - Mainstream September 2025 326KB - pdf
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
0 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 Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 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 Orchards Church of England Academy
Will you get a place at Orchards Church of England Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Orchards Church of England Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Orchards Church of England Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Orchards Church of England Academy.
- Cambridgeshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Orchards Church of England Academy that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Orchards Church of England Academy for 2018 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cambridgeshire 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
56%
Available places
350 pupils
630 places
280 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Wisbech
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wisbech
Across Cambridgeshire council
Places available
8,107
Applications
6,292
Got 1st preference
94.7%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Cambridgeshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
77
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
24.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
384
Total Pupils
193
Boys
191
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
21.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,786
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,300
Per pupil
£2681k
Total funding
£291k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.6%
Overall absence
25.8%
Persistent absence
337
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
Orchards Church of England Academy
Questions parents ask about Orchards Church of England Academy
What are SATs results like at Orchards Church of England Academy?
Of the pupils at Orchards Church of England Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 59% reached the expected standard in reading and 59% did so in maths.
What is Orchards Church of England Academy's Ofsted rating?
Orchards Church of England Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2015, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Orchards Church of England Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Orchards Church of England Academy is oversubscribed, Cambridgeshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Orchards Church of England Academy?
Orchards Church of England Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 56% of its 630 places.
How big are the classes at Orchards Church of England Academy?
Classes at Orchards Church of England Academy average 22.9 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 Orchards Church of England Academy?
Orchards Church of England Academy has around 384 pupils on roll. 46% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Orchards Church of England Academy?
8.6% of sessions were missed at Orchards Church of England Academy in 2024/25. 25.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Orchards Church of England Academy?
Apply through Cambridgeshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Orchards Church of England Academy 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.
Does Orchards Church of England Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Orchards Church of England Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Orchards Church of England Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 0 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 Cambridgeshire is 5 (the median across 312 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Orchards Church of England Academy?
Orchards Church of England Academy is at Cherry Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 3NP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)