Orchard Manor School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 30 June 2026

Pupils love coming to this incredible school. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. All pupils have an education and health care plan. Many pupils join Orchard Manor with a negative experience of education. This has led to them enduring traumatic experiences. The school has only been open for a short time. However, it is beginning to transform the lives of pupils and their families. Pupils have begun to trust adults. A deeply rooted sense of respect is prevalent throughout the school. Pupils value the strong positive relationships with staff and their peers. Pupils have been given a purpose to attend school. They do so regularly. Pupils thrive in a climate where their clinical, therapeutic and academic needs are being met. Pupils have responded to the high aspirations leaders have for them. Teachers have smashed pupils’ self-perceived ceiling of achievement. Pupils have developed a thirst for learning. As teaching provides them with new knowledge, pupils demand more. Pupils benefit from carefully crafted adaptations to teaching. These help pupils to close gaps and learn new knowledge. Pupils flourish in ways that transcend the classroom. They develop confidence that was suppressed in the past. They take on responsibility for their school, environment and each other. Some pupils arrive with anxiety about attending school or being in public spaces. Now they sing in a local church, attend public events and confidently engage with their community. Pupils understand the importance of respecting difference. They sensitively relate to their own experiences of feeling isolated and ostracised. Everyone is accepted for who they are. Consequently, bullying or unkind behaviour is extremely rare. Pupils enjoy an impressive enrichment offer. Pupils enjoy visits to local places of interest, including Royal Parks and Palaces. Visits to the neighbouring farm give pupils a sense of countryside life and animal care. Parents are highly complimentary about the school. They recognise the positive impact the school has had on their children’s learning and personal growth.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that the curriculum sets out in a logical order the precise knowledge pupils need to learn at the earliest stages of reading and writing.

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