The Orchards Primary Academy

  • Primary
  • Academy
  • Ages 3 to 11
Ofsted: Good

Rhayader Road, Northfield, Birmingham, B31 1TXOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

The Orchards Primary Academy is a primary school in Birmingham for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 501 schools in Birmingham. It ranks 105th of 264 primary schools in Birmingham. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in March 2015.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 18 March 2015, report published 20 April 2015

Overall effectiveness
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Early years provision
Good

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 October 2024

The school has experienced a period of turbulence in the last few years. During this time, pupils did not achieve as well as they should. Trustees and governors identified this. They took appropriate action to improve the curriculum and its implementation. Standards pupils achieve are improving. The school sets high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Staff understand the school's behaviour policy and implement it as leaders expect. Pupils follow rules and routines thoughtfully. They are very polite and respectful. Pupils state that behaviour in school is 'good'. Bullying is not tolerated and is dealt with effectively by staff to make sure that it stops. Pupils say that they feel safe and happy. Pupils' typical views are that this is a fun school where they 'learn lots'. The school places great importance on promoting pupils' wider opportunities, including for the high number of disadvantaged pupils who attend. Pupils take part in a wide range of fully inclusive extra-curricular activities such as dance, sewing and choir. Some disadvantaged pupils attend a mathematics club at another local school. Year 6 pupils take part in an annual residential trip. Pupils enjoy whole-school trips to the theatre.

What the school should improve

  • The school does not have a precise enough overview of pupils' achievement in some subjects. This prevents the school from having a clear oversight of how well pupils achieve across the whole curriculum. The school should ensure that staff accurately assess pupils' learning in all subjects so that they can check on how well pupils achieve across the whole curriculum.
  • Some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school should make sure that all staff have the necessary expertise to teach pupils with SEND effectively so that pupils with SEND achieve ambitious outcomes.
  • Some disadvantaged pupils are absent from school too often. As a result, they do not achieve as well as they could and miss out on vital school experiences. The school should do all it can to increase the attendance of these pupils so they attend school regularly to enable them to achieve high outcomes.

Exam results

SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25

31 pupils took the tests

Expected standard in reading, writing and maths71%

71%, 9 percentage points above the England average of 62%.

Higher standard in reading, writing and maths13%

13%, 5 percentage points above the England average of 8%.

Reading, average scaled score104

104, 2 below the England average of 106.

Maths, average scaled score103

103, 2 below the England average of 105.

Grammar, punctuation and spelling, average scaled score107

107, 2 above the England average of 105.

Pupil numbers and mix

190 pupils on roll, with places for 236

Eligible for free school meals55.3%

55.3%, 28.8 percentage points above the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language24.2%

24.2%, 2.6 percentage points above the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support26.3%

26.3%, 11.5 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan1.6%

1.6%, 4.4 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near The Orchards Primary Academy

SchoolDistanceOfstedResults
Bellfield Junior School0.5 milesOfsted: Good57% met the expected standard
Bellfield Primary School (NC)0.5 milesOfsted: GoodNot published
Merritts Brook Primary E-ACT Academy0.5 milesOfsted: Good68% met the expected standard
St Brigid's Catholic Primary School0.6 milesOfsted: Good73% met the expected standard
Green Meadow Primary School0.9 milesOfsted: Good68% met the expected standard

School details

School type
Academy converter
Sector
Academy
Trust
GREENHEART LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
Age range
3 to 11
Gender
Mixed
Nursery classes
Yes
Headteacher
Mrs Beverley Walker-Gordon
Address
Rhayader Road, Northfield, Birmingham, B31 1TX
Local authority
Birmingham
URN
139860

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.