Orchard School Bristol

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Orchard School Bristol Filton Road, Horfield, Bristol, Bristol BS7 0XZ

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Outcome

Orchard School Bristol has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Melanie Sweet. This school is part of the Trust In Learning 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 (CEO), Sue Elliott, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Hugh Barrett.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this inclusive school. Pupils stand up for the school’s values, such as being open-minded and responsible. They know it is important to respect and celebrate differences between themselves and others, such as their race or religion.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has raised its expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct. Most pupils live up to these expectations. Lessons are typically calm and orderly. Breaktimes and lunchtimes are positive, sociable times. The school does not tolerate poor behaviour. It works constructively with pupils to help them understand how to behave.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes a very strong contribution to pupils’ personal development. Pupils benefit from a wide range of extracurricular opportunities, for example. There is an extensive programme of clubs, such as cheerleading, board games and badminton. Pupils make good use of these. The school ensures that there are no barriers to pupils participating in opportunities such as trips and residential visits.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils have leadership roles. They are very proud to hold these positions. Some are tutor representatives, chosen democratically by their peers. Others are appointed to roles, such as prefects and school ambassadors. These opportunities build pupils’ confidence and develop their sense of responsibility. 18 and 19 March 2025

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

Outcomes in the most recent examinations have been disappointing, but leaders have raised their expectations of pupils’ achievement. Many pupils are disadvantaged and have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Trustees and leaders are determined to prepare them well for their next steps in life. As a result, they have strengthened the curriculum, and pupils now benefit from a better quality of education.

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

Pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding well in most subjects that they study. The curriculum is increasingly ambitious and broad. For example, many pupils follow the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects at key stage 4. There are a range of academic and vocational options too, such as classics and health studies.

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

The school has ordered the curriculum to build pupils’ knowledge and skills on what they already know and can do. The school identifies where pupils have gaps in their learning. It adapts the curriculum effectively to address these. For example, the school has established successful programmes to secure pupils’ foundations in reading and number.

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

Teachers have the necessary subject knowledge and expertise. They present new information clearly. They give pupils work which helps them learn how to apply their knowledge. Most teaching corrects pupils’ misconceptions quickly and checks that gaps in their knowledge are remedied swiftly. However, teaching does not consistently ensure that pupils discuss subject matter. This sometimes hinders how they build their depth of understanding.

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

The school identifies accurately the needs of pupils with SEND. It has strengthened its process for assessing pupils’ needs. As a result, the curriculum is usually well adapted to build pupils’ independence. However, the attendance of some pupils with SEND is low. This hinders their learning and achievement.

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

The school works intelligently to understand the causes of pupils’ absence. It has started to put in place successful strategies to reduce pupils’ absence, in collaboration with families. However, there is further work to do to raise the attendance of some pupils.

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

Pupils receive strong careers advice, information and guidance. They take part in meaningful work experience opportunities and learn about a wide range of careers. The school ensures that pupils understand their options when they leave the school, including apprenticeships. Consequently, pupils are well prepared to make informed choices about their future education and employment.

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

The school provides suitable personal, social and health education. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online. In school, pupils share concerns with trusted adults and are confident that staff will take appropriate action to help them. Pupils develop an age- appropriate understanding of healthy relationships.

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

Leaders know the school’s strengths and where it needs to make further improvements. They evaluate insightfully the impact of their work and provide useful information to 18 and 19 March 2025

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trustees and local governors. This enables trustees and local governors to maintain strong oversight of the school’s work. Staff are proud to work at the school and are well supported by leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils, but especially pupils with SEND, do not attend school regularly enough. Consequently, they miss important learning. The school should further strengthen its work to raise pupils’ attendance and remedy the resulting gaps in their learning.  Teaching does not always ensure that pupils discuss subject content. This sometimes inhibits how pupils deepen their understanding. The school should ensure that pupils discuss subject content sufficiently to strengthen the impact of the curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2015. 18 and 19 March 2025

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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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Trust in Learning Academies Trust.  The number of disadvantaged pupils on roll is well above average.  The school has a high proportion of pupils with SEND.  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.  The school currently uses nine registered alternative provisions, and three unregistered alternative provisions.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 18 and 19 March 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school 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 met with the headteacher and other leaders, members of the local governing body and the chair of trustees. They also reviewed documentation and spoke with a range of staff.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also met with pupils to talk about their experience of school life and observed breaktimes and lunchtimes.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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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 Inspectors considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, and reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s survey for school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

James Oldham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Steve Smith Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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