The Orchard School, Potters Bar
The Orchard School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Potters Bar. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Orchard School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Orchard School are Chase House School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Fenton Grange School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Elysium Healthcare Potters Bar Clinic School (0.9 miles, Good); and Rhodes Wood Hospital School (1.8 miles, Outstanding).
Chase House SchoolFenton Grange SchoolElysium Healthcare Potters Bar Clinic SchoolRhodes Wood Hospital School
Who goes there
In 2026, 1 pupils (25%) received SEN support and 3 (75%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Potters Bar Rail Station, about 90 metres away (roughly a 1-minute walk).
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Potters Bar Railway Station, 80 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 179 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Somerset (22), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The Orchard School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 25
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 18 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
5 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 Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 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
20%
Available places
4 pupils
20 places
16 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Potters Bar
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Potters Bar
Across Somerset council
Places available
4,902
Applications
4,659
Got 1st preference
92.1%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Somerset council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
1
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Orchard School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
4
Total Pupils
0
Boys
4
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about The Orchard School
What is The Orchard School's Ofsted rating?
The Orchard School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023.
Does The Orchard School meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in January 2023, The Orchard School met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to The Orchard School?
The Orchard School has around 4 pupils on roll.
Does The Orchard School have specialist SEN provision?
The Orchard School is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to The Orchard School?
The Orchard School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near The Orchard School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 25 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 18 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 5 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 Somerset is 3 (the median across 307 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Orchard School?
The Orchard School is at Orchard School, C/O Metropolitan House, Potters Bar, EN6 1AG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)