Schools by area › Kent › Orchards Academy
Orchards Academy
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–18 · Academy
St Mary's Road, Swanley BR8 7TE · orchards-tkat.org · 01322 665231
Overview
- Ofsted
- No overall grade
- 2019 framework · inspected Mar 2025
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 41.3
- average Attainment 8 score. Kent 46.7, England 46
- Demand for places
- 0.7
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 554
- 67% of 828 places
- Local authority
- Kent
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 42.9%
- First language not English
- 9.2%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 95 families put the school first and 139 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 139 | 95 | 0.7 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 109 | 100 | 0.9 | 94% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 112 | 86 | 0.8 | 94% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 145 | 95 | 0.7 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 113 | 84 | 0.7 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 41.3, and 33% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Kent it was 46.7, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▼41.3 | 46.0 | ||
| ▼33.0% | 45.4% | ||
| ▼62.5% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼0.0% | 40.5% | ||
| ▼3.29 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 12.3 | +0.5 |
| Sixth form college | 1.9 | −4 |
| Further education | 60.4 | +1.6 |
| Other education | 1.9 | +0.7 |
| Apprenticeship | 7.5 | +6.3 |
| Employment | 3.8 | −2.1 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 8.5 | −4.4 |
| Activity not captured | 3.8 | +1.4 |
A levels and other 16 to 18 results
| 2015/16 | Students | Average grade | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied general | 9 | — | +0.02 |
Where sixth-form leavers went
| Left in 2017/18 | Since 2016/17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Other education | 17 | −37 |
| Employment | 42 | +19 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 33 | — |
| Activity not captured | 8 | — |
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected Orchards Academy on 11 March 2025 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.
- Overall
- No overall grade
- Inspected
- 11 Mar 2025
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
Previously: Remains Good, ungraded inspection, Jul 2021
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
- Jul 2021Ungraded inspectionRemains Good
Before September 2019
Feb 2012Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Dec 2008Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Good 16 to 19 study programmes Inadequate
What parents said
48% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (61 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 48%
- Replies
- 61
- 11% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 89% who raised concerns
based on the 56% who had a child bullied
based on 23 parents (38%) with SEND