The Orchard Infant School, East Molesey

Ofsted's report card from its 6 May 2026 inspection grades The Orchard Infant School on 7 areas: 4 strong standard and 3 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils learn the curriculum very well, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders place a clear emphasis on the importance of regular attendance, and this is well understood across the school."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders' consistently high expectations for all pupils are central to the school's inclusive ethos."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Personal development and wellbeing sit at the heart of the school's work."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Teaching is effective in securing pupils' understanding and engagement."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children are happy and engaged in the early years."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have a secure and well-evidenced understanding of the school's strengths and its wider context."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should further develop their systems to check how well all subjects are being taught so that leaders develop an astute understanding of what is working well and what needs to be improved across the whole curriculum"; "Leaders should improve consistency in the early years by ensuring that all staff maximise the impact of high-quality interactions throughout the day to further deepen children's learning".

For September 2026 entry, 77 families put The Orchard Infant School as their first choice and 180 named it as one of their preferences, for 87 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 The Orchard Infant School are St Lawrence CofE Aided Junior School, East Molesey (0.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 89% maths); St Alban's Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles, Outstanding, 95% reading, 92% maths); St Paul's Catholic Primary School, Thames Ditton (0.6 miles, Good, 84% reading, 86% maths); and Thames Ditton Infant School (0.8 miles, Good).

The Orchard Infant School is one of 2 schools run by Voice Education Trust, an academy trust.

5.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%), Asian (6%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 20 pupils (8%) received SEN support and 14 (5.6%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

The Orchard Infant School has a resourced provision and a SEN unit (6 places, 6 pupils on roll) for speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Hampton Court Rail Station, about 580 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Old Police Station (opposite), 30 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Orchard Infant School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

The Orchard Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.