Orchard Way Primary School

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 4 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Orchard Way, Shirley, Croydon, CR0 7NJOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Orchard Way Primary School is a primary school in Croydon for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 153 schools in Croydon. It ranks 46th of 77 primary schools in Croydon. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in May 2014.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 8 May 2014, report published 9 August 2014

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 January 2025

Pupils really enjoy attending this warm and friendly school. They settle quickly in the early years and develop strong relationships with staff. As a result, pupils trust the adults around them to help whenever they face concerns or worries. This supportive environment ensures that pupils feel secure and confident as part of the school community. The school has high expectations for what they want pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve. Pupils try hard in lessons. They typically produce work of good quality and pupils mostly achieve well in English and mathematics. However, the curriculum in some other subjects is not as well established. This means pupils do not secure as deep a knowledge and understanding as they should. The school provides strong pastoral care to pupils, including a wide range of support for their emotional well-being. For example, pupils can benefit from animal therapy or receive support at lunchtime from 'playground friends'. They also learn how to understand and regulate their emotions. Parents and carers praise the real sense of community and know that their children are well cared for and enjoy their learning. Many parents commented positively about the school.

What the school should improve

  • On occasion, teachers do not check pupils' understanding carefully enough. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their learning and develop misconceptions. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils' learning systematically and respond to any gaps or misconceptions swiftly so that pupils achieve well in all subjects.
  • In some subjects, the way that the curriculum is organised does not support pupils to know more and remember more by embedding learning in their long-term memory. As a result, pupils do not build up a secure foundation of knowledge in these subjects over time leading to gaps in their learning. The school should ensure that the curriculum is structured and sequenced in such a way as to enable pupils to review and retrieve their knowledge over time and embed key learning in their long-term memory.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

30 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths67%

67%, 5 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths10%

10%, 2 percentage points above the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score104

104, 2 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score106

106, 1 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

204 pupils on roll, with places for 210

Eligible for free school meals23%

23%, 3.5 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language22.1%

22.1%, 0.5 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support27.5%

27.5%, 12.7 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan3.9%

3.9%, 2.1 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Orchard Way Primary School

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Monks Orchard Primary School0.7 milesOfsted: Good73% met the expected standard
Oak Lodge Primary School0.7 milesOfsted: Good73% met the expected standard
Marian Vian Primary School0.8 milesOfsted: Good83% met the expected standard
St John's CofE Primary School0.8 milesReport card: Strong standard81% met the expected standard
Harris Primary Academy Benson0.9 milesOfsted: Outstanding74% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
LUMERO EDUCATIONAL TRUST
Age range
4 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
No
Headteacher
Mr Andrew May
Address
Orchard Way, Shirley, Croydon, CR0 7NJ
Local authority
Croydon
URN
148971

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.