Orchards Infant School

Pupils

Pupils

272

Capacity

412

Girls / boys

47% / 53%

Free school meals

20%

Staff

Teachers (FTE)

12.7

Teaching assistants (FTE)

11.8

Part-time teachers

60%

School workforce census, 2025/26.

How do I apply for a place at Orchards Infant School?

Apply through the council where you live by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference, and offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day. A place in its nursery class does not carry on into Reception, so you still need to apply.

Where do children go after Year 2 at Orchards Infant School?

Orchards Infant School is an infant school, so children move to a junior school for Year 3. Its partner junior school is Orchards Junior School, 60 m away. You apply for a Year 3 place through the council where you live by 15 January in Year 2, even for Orchards Junior School. Check its admission arrangements for any priority it gives children from its partner infant school.

Does living near Orchards Infant School guarantee a place?

No. Distance only counts when Orchards Infant School has more applicants than places. Then its admission criteria, set by its academy trust, decide who is offered a place first. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or a catchment area. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.

How many pupils are at Orchards Infant School?

Orchards Infant School had 272 pupils aged 3 to 7 at the latest school census. Its official capacity is 412. It is a mixed school.