Orchards Junior School, Worthing
Orchards Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Worthing, part of Sparkle Multi-Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 20 schools in Worthing with published results, and 8,618th of 14,452 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Capacity
- 81% full
- Attendance
- Below England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Orchards Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Orchards Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 72% in West Sussex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (78% in reading, 68% in maths).
Getting a place at Orchards Junior School
Across West Sussex, 92% 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 West Sussex lodged 236 appeals against primary school offers; 139 reached a hearing and 9 succeeded (6.5% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Orchards Junior School are Orchards Infant School (under 0.1 miles); English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Worthing (0.3 miles, Good, 58% reading, 68% maths); West Park CofE Primary (Controlled) School (0.5 miles, Good, 81% reading, 71% maths); and Hawthorns Primary School (0.6 miles, 83% reading, 92% maths).
Orchards Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Orchards Infant SchoolEnglish Martyrs Catholic Primary School, WorthingWest Park CofE Primary (Controlled) SchoolHawthorns Primary School
The trust
Orchards Junior School is one of 2 schools run by Sparkle Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
In 2026, 185 pupils (37.3%) received SEN support and 48 (9.7%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Orchards Junior School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 15 places, 14 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Durrington-on-Sea Rail Station, about 590 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Windermere Crescent (opposite), 220 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 263 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Sussex (103), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Orchards Junior School issued 14 suspensions, 2.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Orchards Junior School are Durrington High School (0.6 miles) and St Oscar Romero Catholic School (0.9 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from September 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
29.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 68% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 77% to 70% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.6
Avg class size
27.6
KS2
18
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Orchards Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Orchards Junior School.
- SportsCool Brighton EM510m away · Not yet graded
- Premier Education - Wrap Around Care at Goring Primary School940m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Orchards Junior School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see West Sussex's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Orchards Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Orchards Junior School is in West Sussex; for families living there:
Apply to West Sussex for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 25
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 20 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
81%
Available places
487 pupils
600 places
113 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Worthing
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Worthing
Across West Sussex council
Places available
9,608
Applications
8,127
Got 1st preference
92.4%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across West Sussex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
185
SEN Support
48
EHC Plans
47.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Orchards Junior School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 15 places, 14 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
496
Total Pupils
246
Boys
250
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
28
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,094
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,265
Per pupil
£2738k
Total funding
£218k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.7%
Overall absence
18.4%
Persistent absence
500
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 Junior School
Questions parents ask about Orchards Junior School
What are SATs results like at Orchards Junior School?
Of the pupils at Orchards Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is Orchards Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Orchards Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Orchards Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Orchards Junior School is oversubscribed, West Sussex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Orchards Junior School?
Orchards Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 600 places.
How big are the classes at Orchards Junior School?
Classes at Orchards Junior School average 27.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Orchards Junior School?
Orchards Junior School has around 496 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Orchards Junior School have specialist SEN provision?
Orchards Junior School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 15 places, 14 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Orchards Junior School?
6.7% of sessions were missed at Orchards Junior School in 2024/25. 18.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Orchards Junior School?
Apply through West Sussex's coordinated admissions process, naming Orchards Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Orchards Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Orchards Junior School: SportsCool Brighton EM (510m away, registered, not yet graded) and Premier Education - Wrap Around Care at Goring Primary School (940m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Orchards Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 20 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 West Sussex is 11 (the median across 337 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Orchards Junior School?
Orchards Junior School is at Nelson Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN12 6EN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)