School profile

Orchard Grove Primary School

Primary · Free schools · Taunton, TA3 7FD

Outstanding

Map showing Orchard Grove Primary School

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

Orchard Grove Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 2 Jun 2026

Area360 rating
Outstanding
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Strong standard
Achievement
Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Leadership and governance
Strong standard
Early years
Strong standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeFree schools
Ages2 to 11
Pupils130
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Laura White
TrustBLACKDOWN EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP
Local authoritySomerset
Opened01 Sept 2023
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 149764.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils130
Girls61
Boys69
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.8.5%
First language not English33.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.420
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.77
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.81.7%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.17
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.2
Average class size21.7

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
54.6%
African
16.9%
Indian
14.6%
Other ethnic group
3.1%
Other White
2.3%
White and Black Caribbean
2.3%
White and Asian
2.3%
Other Asian
1.5%
Gypsy/Roma
0.8%
White and Black African
0.8%

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 teacher30.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.9.5
Teachers (FTE)4.3
Teaching assistants (FTE)3.45
Support staff (FTE)12.53
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/252.3
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/252.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/250

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 (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.49
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.80
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.46
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.46
Applications from another local authority (Reception)2

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 schoolSomersetEngland
Overall absence3.1%, better than England, better than Somerset5.3%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.3.4%, better than England, better than Somerset13.1%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0%, better than England, better than Somerset1%1%

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 rate0%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 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 Grove Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.6 miPrimaryBishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, TauntonVoluntary aided school
Good
0.7 miNot applicableQueen's CollegeOther independent school
Unrated
0.8 miPrimaryTrull Church of England VA Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryBishops Hull Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryParkfield Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.2 miSecondaryThe Castle SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.6 miPrimaryNorth Town AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.6 miPrimarySt George's Catholic SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.7 miNot applicableKing's College TauntonOther independent school
Unrated
1.7 miSecondaryBishop Fox's SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Orchard Grove Primary School

What is Orchard Grove Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Orchard Grove Primary School is rated Outstanding, last inspected on 2 Jun 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How hard is it to get into Orchard Grove Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Orchard Grove Primary School made 49 offers from 80 applications (1.6 per offer), and 46 of 46 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Orchard Grove Primary School?

Orchard Grove Primary School has 130 pupils aged 2 to 11.

What is the capacity of Orchard Grove Primary School?

Orchard Grove Primary School had 420 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Orchard Grove Primary School?

At Orchard Grove Primary School, the average class had 21.7 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 30.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Orchard Grove Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Orchard Grove Primary School missed 3.1% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 3.4% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

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.