Scotch Orchard Primary School, Lichfield

Ofsted's report card from its 12 May 2026 inspection grades Scotch 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.

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The newly formed leadership team has a clear and ambitious vision for the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders place a high priority on pupils' personal development and wellbeing."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Outcomes in mathematics and pupils' foundational knowledge remain relatively weak."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Persistent absence, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, remains high and has been over time."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Curriculum implementation is at an early stage."

Early years - Needs attention. "The early years curriculum is well sequenced."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders identify pupils' barriers to learning effectively."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that identified barriers to learning, particularly for the most vulnerable pupils, are consistently reduced through the effective and consistent use of adaptations in lessons, so that all pupils make sustained progress from their starting points"; "Leaders should continue to embed recent curriculum developments so that foundational knowledge and skills, particularly in spelling, punctuation and grammar and mathematical fluency, are consistently secured, leading to improved attainment at the end of key stage 2"; "Leaders should continue to reduce persistent absence, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, so that they attend regularly and can fully benefit from the school's offer"; "Leaders should ensure that the early years curriculum is implemented consistently well so that intended learning is realised in practice, and that the environment is purposefully designed to promote high‑quality language development and sustained interaction".

In its own words: "We are a happy school at the heart of our community. At Scotch Orchard, we want our children to develop a sense of belonging to our school. This is because we understand that children need to feel a secure sense of belonging in order to feel safe."

The school runs after-school care until 6:00pm.

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Scotch Orchard Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 77% in Staffordshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 66% in reading and 52% in maths in 2024.

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

For September 2026 entry, 22 families put Scotch Orchard Primary School as their first choice and 46 named it as one of their preferences, for 26 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Scotch Orchard Primary School are St Chad's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, 66% reading, 72% maths); Charnwood Primary Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 87% reading, 80% maths); St Michael's CofE (C) Primary School (0.6 miles, 95% reading, 89% maths); and Streethay Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 94% reading, 88% maths).

Scotch Orchard Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Scotch Orchard Primary School is one of 24 schools run by The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

6.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Mixed (8%).

In 2026, 36 pupils (18.6%) received SEN support and 16 (8.2%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Lichfield Trent Valley Rail Station, about 800 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hermes Road (opposite), 140 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 199 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 Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Scotch Orchard Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Scotch Orchard Primary School are Nether Stowe School (0.5 miles), King Edward VI School (1 mile) and The Friary School (1.5 miles).