Orchards Academy
Swanley, BR8 7TE · Kent · secondary school
Check the area around this school
66th of 99 secondary schools in Kent we can score, 103 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still — 4.6/10 against 481 of them, against 2.7/10 nationally. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 27.4 · 11 | 46% | 0.50 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | 0.03 · 52 | 38% | 2.02 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 38.3 · 13 | 15% | 0.20 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Orchards Academy overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 33.0% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 41.3, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was +0.03 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did better than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds and it does better still (5.8 out of 10 against similar schools, 3.5 out of 10 against all schools).
Beyond the classroom
Pupils join debating societies, STEM clubs, coding challenges, history societies, book clubs, drama clubs, art clubs, and choirs. Sports include football, rugby, netball, basketball, cricket, athletics, gymnastics, and dance. Arts and music features school productions, photography workshops, instrumental ensembles, school bands, and poetry slams. Trips include Kew Gardens.
Getting in
The published school roll is 554 pupils against a stated capacity of 828. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the gap between the current Attainment 8 score and the national median? What specific support is available for students aiming to improve their Progress 8 scores? How are the various clubs and sports scheduled to ensure broad participation across the year?
What Ofsted said about Orchards Academy
Overview
Orchards Academy provides a high-quality education where pupils benefit from a "calm, orderly environment" and strong behavioural expectations. The school fosters positive personal development through ambitious curriculum choices and enriching experiences, ensuring most pupils make secure progress towards their future aspirations.
Strengths
- Pupils are "polite and courteous," with bullying being "not commonplace" and staff taking effective action when incidents occur.
- The curriculum is "well-considered" with increased ambition, including more pupils studying English Baccalaureate subjects and new offerings like statistics.
- Teachers "know their subjects well," effectively checking understanding and promoting subject-specific vocabulary to help pupils recall prior learning.
- Pupils enjoy reading and receive targeted support, while the comprehensive careers programme helps them make "secure plans for their next steps."
- Safeguarding arrangements are "effective," with an open culture that puts pupils’ interests first.
Areas to improve
- The school must ensure staff have precise information to support pupils with special educational needs, particularly those without an education, health and care plan, to help them learn well across the curriculum.
- Improvements are needed in specific curriculum areas, including identifying all content for religious education at key stage 4 and providing clearer support for pupils who need help with writing accurately.
Safeguarding
The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 40.9 |
| 2024/25 | 41.3 |
| 2025/26 | 38.3 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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