School profile

Orchard Mead Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Leicester, LE5 1RT

Requires improvement

Map showing Orchard Mead Academy

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,580 of 3,312

Worse than 77% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Orchard Mead Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 2 Jun 2026

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,007
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Gary Aldred
TrustTHE MEAD EDUCATIONAL TRUST
Local authorityLeicester
Opened01 Sept 2017
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 144629.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolLeicesterEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.40.4, worse than England, worse than Leicester45.646.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.53.3%, worse than England, worse than Leicester62.7%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.33.7%, worse than England, worse than Leicester44.6%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.10.6%, worse than England, worse than Leicester13.7%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths47.7%, worse than England, worse than Leicester58.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4199--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,007
Girls503
Boys504
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.42.1%
First language not English41.4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,200
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.16.1%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.134
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.38
Average class size22.2

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
42.5%
Indian
14.8%
African
6.6%
Other Asian
6.1%
Other White
5%
White and Black Caribbean
4.1%
Pakistani
3.6%
Other ethnic group
3.6%
White and Asian
3.2%
Other mixed
3.2%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher17
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.9
Teachers (FTE)59.33
Teaching assistants (FTE)11.89
Support staff (FTE)56.54
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2562.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2552.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/256.2
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.205
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.250
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.153
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.153
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)29

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolLeicesterEngland
Overall absence10.1%, worse than England, worse than Leicester7.4%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.30.7%, worse than England, worse than Leicester21.3%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.9%, worse than England, worse than Leicester3.2%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate65.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions19.5%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions2

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.82%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.81.1%
Sixth form college39.9%
Further education34.6%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.8.8%
School sixth form6.6%
Employment0.9%
Apprenticeship0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Orchard Mead Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryScraptoft Valley Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.4 miPrimaryKestrel Mead Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miPrimarySt Joseph's Catholic AcademyAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.9 mi16 plusGateway Sixth Form CollegeAcademy 16-19 converter
Unrated
0.9 miPrimaryHope Hamilton CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miAll-throughAvanti Fields SchoolFree schools
Good
1.1 miPrimaryThurnby Mead Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryWillowbrook Mead Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryHumberstone Infant AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.1 miPrimaryHumberstone Junior SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding

Frequently asked questions about Orchard Mead Academy

What is Orchard Mead Academy's Ofsted rating?

Orchard Mead Academy is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 2 Jun 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Orchard Mead Academy rank in England?

Orchard Mead Academy ranks 2,580 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 77% of schools).

What are Orchard Mead Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 33.7% of pupils at Orchard Mead Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 40.4 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Orchard Mead Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Orchard Mead Academy made 205 offers from 250 applications (1.2 per offer), and 153 of 153 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Orchard Mead Academy?

Orchard Mead Academy has 1,007 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Orchard Mead Academy?

Orchard Mead Academy had 1,200 school places in 2024/25.

Does Orchard Mead Academy have a sixth form?

No, Orchard Mead Academy teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Orchard Mead Academy?

At Orchard Mead Academy, the average class had 22.2 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 17 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Orchard Mead Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Orchard Mead Academy missed 10.1% of sessions (England 8%), and 30.7% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.