Orchards Academy

Inspection of Orchards Academy St Mary's Road, Swanley, Kent BR8 7TE

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good

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The headteacher of this school is Andy Lazenby. This school is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Karen Roberts, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gaenor Bagley. There is also a director of education, Christian Cavanagh, who is responsible for this school and others. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils follow clear systems and routines. This ensures a calm, orderly environment, free from disruption. Support from staff helps pupils to feel comfortable and safe at school. For instance, ‘ACE’ tutors help pupils to be organised and well prepared for learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and courteous. They recognise the importance of treating others with kindness and respect. Bullying is not commonplace. When it does happen, pupils know who to tell and staff take action which typically stops it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils' outcomes. The comprehensive careers programme ensures that pupils have the information they need to make secure plans for their next steps. Many pupils learn the curriculum well and gain the qualifications they need to progress to destinations that meet their aspirations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from experiences that develop their understanding of life beyond their local area. For instance, the school provides pupils with visits to the coast, galleries, museums and central London. These encounters broaden pupils’ experience and develop their confidence. There is an active school council, which helps to develop pupils’ leadership qualities, such as taking responsibility for food bank donations and improving the food on offer at the school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school provides a well-considered curriculum. Leaders and staff have introduced more ambitious curriculum content and more choice for pupils. There has been an increase in the number of pupils who study subjects that make up the English Baccalaureate and new subjects introduced such as statistics. The school recognises that pupils' attainment in some subjects in key stage 4 national examinations has been lower than national averages. However, leaders and staff are working collaboratively to continue to strengthen identified areas to help pupils progress well through all areas of the curriculum.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In many subjects, the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn is well-ordered and considered. Consequently, many pupils learn typically well and produce work of a good quality. However, some elements of the curriculum are not so well developed, including aspects of religious education for older pupils. As a result, older pupils’ knowledge and understanding of different religions, faiths and beliefs is not secure.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils enjoy reading. Carefully chosen texts help pupils develop their understanding of different social issues. Pupils who need extra help with reading get the support they need. Support for pupils’ writing is less well focused. The school has not clearly identified what to teach pupils who need support with writing accurately. Though pupils’ writing does become more accurate over time, some catch up more slowly than they could.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers know their subjects well. They check pupils’ understanding of key ideas and address misconceptions. They promote subject specific vocabulary and help pupils to 11 and 12 March 2025

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recall prior learning. They provide opportunities for pupils to practise what they have been taught. However, some of the work set for pupils does not provide opportunities for pupils to think more deeply about what they have learned.

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Overall, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop a secure understanding of much of what they have been taught. The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND and staff use a range of approaches to meet their needs. For pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan or those in the specially resourced provision, the school provides clear guidance on how to help them. The information provided about the needs of pupils without an EHC plan is not as well developed and this limits how well focused the school’s support is for those pupils.

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Pupils are taught about wider issues that support their personal development. The school considers local risks for pupils and addresses this through the curriculum. They learn extensively about online safety, for instance. Relationships education has been well designed. Pupils learn about individual differences and know that prejudice and discrimination is wrong. However, some pupils are not as confident in their understanding of aspects of the personal development curriculum as the school intends. The school recognises this and is focused on remedying any gaps in provision as they embed the curriculum.

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The school has made recent changes to how it manages pupils’ behaviour. Staff apply new systems consistently. Pupils quickly understand the school’s expectations of them. The school uses effective strategies to encourage pupils to attend regularly. These approaches are starting to have an impact, meaning more pupils are now attending regularly.

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The trust has an accurate understanding of what the school is doing well and where it needs to improve. Trustees and governors check that decisions are in pupils’ best interests. Leaders have made changes to support staff workload. The majority of staff enjoy working at the school.

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The school recognises that some parents wish to receive more information about recent changes and how these are making a positive difference, including for pupils with SEND. The school has made changes to communication, to keep parents informed and involved. For instance, leaders have introduced parent workshops with SEND experts, and arranged cooking and sports activities for parents and their children to enjoy together.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 and 12 March 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the information supplied by the school to support staff in meeting pupils' special educational needs lacks precision. This is especially the case when pupils do not have an EHC plan. As a result, the support provided to pupils does not always help these pupils learn well across the curriculum. The school should ensure staff have the information required to help them meet pupils’ needs more effectively.  In a small number of areas of the curriculum, further improvements are needed to help pupils achieve well. For instance, this includes identifying all of the content pupils need to learn in religious education at key stage 4, and within the help for pupils who need additional support with their writing. As a result, some pupils do not always have the knowledge and skills they need. The school should continue to make the necessary improvements to the identified areas to ensure pupils learn well across the curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 and 2 July 2021

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Information about this school

 Orchards Academy is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust.  There is a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND based at the school. This is for up to 12 pupils with autism spectrum disorder.  The school uses two registered alternative providers of education.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  There are currently no sixth-form students on roll at the school.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 11 and 12 March 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision.  This was the second routine inspection the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders, including leaders from the trust. Inspectors also met with leaders with the responsibility for SEND, behaviour and attendance, and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors met with representatives from the local governing body and the board of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history, art and computer science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils

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about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum information in some other subjects.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Iles-Smith, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Julia Mortimore Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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